


Youthful Dawn

by InkAtHeart



Series: Chasing the Sun [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Aggressive Omega, Alpha Jesse McCree, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Background Jack/Gabe, Blackwatch Jesse McCree, Blood, Blow Jobs, Deadlock McCree, Depression, Dry Humping, Emotional Destruction of your Soul, Estimated Length: 120k words, Face-Sitting, Fake Science, Gratuitous Smut, Growing Up, Hanzo is a fucking tease, Intersex Hanzo, Knotting, Lust at First Sight, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Omega Genji, Rimming, Suicidal Thoughts, Territorial Fighting, Violence, Young Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, mentions of torture, omega hanzo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2018-08-30 14:25:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 85,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8536624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkAtHeart/pseuds/InkAtHeart
Summary: Jesse McCree is many things. Sharpshooter, troublemaker, Alpha... In Deadlock since he was fifteen, he doesn't figure that he'll live to see thirty, but he's determined to make the best of it. A business trip to Hanamura to talk trade with the Shimada's opium empire finds Jesse face-to-face with the only thing in his life that makes him rethink everything.
Omegas are supposed to be meek, shy, needy people by nature. Hanzo Shimada is none of those things, and may very well be the death of him in less than a week's time.





	1. Chapter 1

It was just past noon when Flight J8875 banked left, tilting the view from the plane’s windows. The sight below was different than anything Jesse McCree had ever seen before, bare of clouds and smog, the city of Tokyo stood proudly as if holding up the sky. Skyscrapers that put New York to shame, all polished glass that flashed bright in the sun. Even from up so high, he could look down and see the streets crowded with gridlocked cars and throngs of people moving like ocean waters, currents pushing and pulling and shifting together. He was surprised to find it spread so much further than he imagined it would – one would think from looking at the maps, you could see one coast to the other from the plane.

Of course, Jesse knew his scope of the world wasn’t as large as it should have been. He was too used to wide open spaces and desert air. Nothing like _this_.

Their landing was smooth, sinking into the waiting maw of what had once upon a time been the outskirts of the city. Now it had grown around the airport, making the descent into the space something that looked perilous to those who didn’t fly often enough.

Jesse was both glad to be on the ground and nervous to know they would have to take off again in a few days. He didn’t look forward to the heart-attack that would surely come as he imagined their plane hurtling towards one of those skyscrapers. Though this was far from the first time he had been on a plane, he decided that he didn’t like flying. He liked his feet on the ground.

The airport itself was, as he expected, a chaotic mess of people. He clutched his duffel-bag close, slung around one shoulder, and kept his eyes on his travelling companion. Daniel was the official ‘diplomat’ and businessman of Deadlock. It was hardly the first time he and Jesse had gone somewhere together, even if the two weren’t fond of one another. He was an easy man to follow, with skin as white as paper and a bald head that reflected the lights overhead.

They waded through tourists and business-folk, not making eye-contact with anyone. Jesse chose not to let the scents around him get into his head, too many of them in too close of a space often gave him a headache. He had left his beanie and normal attire back home in New Mexico, left in a freshly-bought plaid button-down and jeans that helped him blend into the tourist crowd.

Leaving the terminal and stepping past security, Jesse was the first to spot the two stoic Japanese men (among a sea of stoic looking Japanese men), one holding up a white card with the name ‘Harold Smith.’ It was a fake name, of course, but one Jesse and Daniel used since ‘Deadlock’ wouldn’t be appropriate, nor would real names when there were security cameras watching.

No words were exchanged as Jesse and Daniel approached, the two men nodding before they turned and led them out of the airport and into the garage. The car awaiting them was exactly what Jesse expected, a black boxy thing with dark tinted windows. There was probably armor plating beneath the smooth black metal.

A divider separated the front and back seat as Jesse and his companion slid into the leather seats. The scent was sterile, that new-car-stink that made Jesse wrinkle his nose. The whole endeavor was unpleasant.

The car took them from the garage, leaving the airport behind. They took back roads and underpasses, avoiding the worst of the traffic they had seen flying in, and soon they had exited the city. The car drove smoothly, dead silent as Daniel opened the mini-fridge tucked away in the back corner and pulled out Sake. Jesse refused when offered, but the scent he picked up was a welcome relief from the leather. Floral and potent, he could catch the scent of alcohol and it tingled the back of his throat.

Over an hour passed of boring silence. Jesse contented himself watching the scenery roll past from the window.

Slowly the landscape gave way to civilization once more, houses dotting the side of the road before they were slowly swallowed by a smaller town. Far from the huge tech-empire that had been Tokyo, the city they worked through had narrow streets and stone and wooden buildings. None of the signs were translated for tourists, and vendors sold their wares from actual carts instead of fold-out hover-booths.

The car turned into a small building as a gate donning two dragon-heads opened from the middle. Another garage, with more shiny black cars tucked inside of their ports. Their car parked itself into one of the few empty spots and soon the back doors were opened on either side. Jesse and Daniel were ushered out.

“Welcome to Hanamura,” one of the men spoke, both doors closing.

“Lord Shimada welcomes you to tour the city before coming to the castle,” the other man spoke.

They both bowed in unison, and Jesse absently wondered if they were Omnics with human faces. They all left the garage in silence, and parted ways once outside.

The world was full of interesting smells for an Alpha like Jesse McCree. He loved to follow his nose more than his eyes more often than not, and particularly liked the scents of cigar and gun smoke. However out in the open air of Hanamura he was blindsided with the scent of the people and the food. His eyes nearly went cross as he tried to parse all of the newness, the down-to-earth nature of the city built by the hands of its people. There was so much history there and it carried over in the scent of the wood and the scent of natural cooking food.

 

* * *

 

Back home, south of Albuquerque, the air was always a unique mix of the familiar dust of the desert and the distinctive scents of the people around him. Sure not everyone smelled great (especially when most of the people Jesse spent his time around would rather take a dust bath than an _actual_ bath), but in a world full of Betas, he was thankful for his uniqueness.

Alphas and Omegas were very near extinction, the world breeding for Betas in an attempt to unionize the genders so that people would feel more equal. It meant the end of the horrible treatment of Omegas that had gone on for centuries, which Jesse was thankful for. But it also meant that in high-density towns, everyone smelled…stale. Betas all had their own scents like anyone else, but it was much more subtle and hard to discern in crowds.

For Jesse McCree, that just meant that he had to keep himself low-key. Without Omegas around, he rarely went into rut and Betas weren’t able to scent him out. The only other people that knew Jesse was an Alpha were fellow Alphas, two of the higher-ups in Deadlock.

In all his twenty years of life, though, he’d never met or scented a true Omega until the day he set foot in Hanamura…

Despite his lower ranking in Deadlock, the higher-ups made no attempt to hide the fact that they were grooming Jesse for a leadership position. He certainly didn’t mind, especially when he got to visit exotic places of the world to meet with fellow gang-leaders. They needed to know Jesse's face, needed to know who he was in Deadlock. Of course, this would be the first time the outlaw got to meet a _Yakuza_ leader. He had thought the Yakuza as extinct as Omegas.

Hanamura was an entirely fresh array of scents. The city, the food, the people, it nearly made the man dizzy as he followed his companion through the streets. He wanted so badly to take some time to explore, to find the best place to eat or figure out what that sweet smoky smell was, some sort of grilling he guessed. More than once Daniel had to snap at the younger to get him to keep up.

“…McCree!” the man barked again and made the younger jump, looking to his companion, “Did you hear anything I just said?!”

Jesse huffed and turned his head away to hide his eyes from the man’s view, “Er, not really.”

Daniel just huffed a growl and grabbed Jesse by the bicep, pulling him along, “You’re not usually _this_ incompetent. Remember, when we meet Lord Shimada, treat him with the utmost respect. Having an open trade with the Shimadas means better business for us back home. So _don’t_ speak unless spoken to, keep your eyes down, and let me work. If anyone asks, you’re my bodyguard.”

Jesse just sighed and nodded. He felt the strong desire to fight the man, assert his dominance, but he was taught far better than that. If he played his part, he would probably be able to sneak out during the night and explore the city further.

Shimada Castle was a grand sight, standing well above the rest of Hanamura, proud and regal. Jesse openly gaped at the view, taking in the intricate stone-work as he and Daniel made their way towards the front gate where they were met with the same sigil of two dragon heads. Jesse made a quick count and spotted at least ten guards in old-style Kimonos stationed around the front of the manor, most of them watching the newcomers. Jesse was more preoccupied with the scents though, the fresh and potent smell of the cherry trees, and something altogether _new_. He furrowed his brows, trying to parse the undercurrent scents, some sickly sweet, others acrid, but entirely curious to the man.

The pair were let into the gates, flanked by two guards who, Jesse noticed, wore Katana at their back, and a gun holster at their hips. The main courtyard was an open space leading up to a great bell with a raked zen-garden before it. They were led away along a wooden platform, around the garden and towards the castle proper. Jesse and Daniel had come unarmed, as agreed, but were still subjected to a pat-down before entering the main house.

The scent hit Jesse like a punch to the gut with a shot of ecstasy. The cloying smells of sweetness permeated everything in the house, made Jesse’s mouth water and his pants grow painfully tight as his body warred with his mind. He stood there, paralyzed by the newness of it all, painfully aroused as his nose flared, taking in each new scent that was sweeter than the last…

Suddenly he was being grabbed, both biceps taken in steel grips as he was shoved to the ground so hard he saw stars. A knee was in his back, painful, but it did nothing to distract from that incredible _smells._ It took a long moment to discern three distinct scents, all of them incredible but one of them…one of them was just _heavenly._

It was the kick to the ribs that knocked Jesse’s senses back into his lust-addled brain, jerking with a snarl he didn’t even realize he could make as he blinked the haze away and looked up at Daniel, then turned his head. One of the guards had him well and truly pinned, the other had his gun out as if Jesse was _dangerous_. Well, he was, but it took him a moment to realize what they considered a danger here.

“You would dare bring an Alpha?” one of the guards snapped.

“Fucking shit, I didn’t know the kid was an Alpha!” Daniel argued, then he snarled an exasperated sound, “I’ll put his ass on the first plane back to America.”

The guard holding Jesse down let out a grunt of disapproval, “It is up to Lord Shimada what is done to him.”

“W…Waddya mean?” Jesse managed through his minimal lungful of air.

“It is tradition that an unwelcomed Alpha is subject to the Lord’s punishment. If you’re lucky, he’ll be quick about your castration.”

Jesse let out a loud sound of protest, squirming against the hold, “N-No! I didn’t mean anything I swear! I didn’t know!” He tried to wiggle away, but the sound of a pistol hammer being cocked made him go still again. Panic was eating away at the euphoric scents in the air, making him struggle again.

The sound of a sliding door and heavy, quick footsteps had Jesse looking up, wondering what new hell was approaching. A young man, perhaps early-twenties, approached with fire in his eyes, “What is the meaning of—oh…”

He was shirtless, a thin sheen of sweat suggested that he had perhaps been exercising. Long dark hair was pulled up into a tie and on his left arm, a wildly intricate dragon tattoo. The man looked down, directly at Jesse.

Then the scent hit him anew. A wash of indescribable purity, like home and family and beauty. From the looks of the man’s expression, he was scenting Jesse just as much.

“Return to your room, Young Lord,” one of the guards said firmly, “Your father will handle this.”

“Release him,” the man, the _Omega_ , said firmly. The guards looked to him with wariness and confusion before he reiterated in a stronger tone, “I said _release him_.” The voice was heavily accented, a mixture of steel authority and youthful lightness.

The knee in Jesse’s back slowly let up, allowing the outlaw to get a full breath of air that he gasped in readily. The scent was still maddening, overwhelming. Finally the Omega spoke up again, “Stand.”

Jesse scrambled to his feet and found himself to be several inches taller than the man, but no less intimidated by the fire in his honey-gold eyes. He stood there for a moment, feeling himself shrink back as the other’s gaze hardened on him. He had always heard that Omega were naturally submissive or meek, but this man was as terrifying.

“What is your name?”

“Jesse McCree,” he said quickly.

The man’s chin tilted up, but he seemed pleased by the answer, “Jesse McCree… I am Hanzo Shimada, eldest son of Lord Shimada. Tell me, Alpha, can you control yourself, or are you a slave to your instincts?” His English was fluent but edged with a natural accent that sent a shiver down Jesse’s spine.

_Hanzo_. He rolled the name around in his head a few times, associated it with the scent, felt it sink into his soul like a devilbrush burr.

The outlaw swallowed and nodded, “I’m in control, just took me by surprise is all…”

“I would imagine so,” Hanzo relaxed and the tension in the air began to evaporate, “Have you never even scented an Omega before?”

“No Sir,” he answered honestly, shaking his head.

Hanzo was quiet for a long while as he appraised Jesse with those dark eyes, taking him in like an opponent. “You have the eyes of an honorable man. This visit will serve as a lesson to you, so you are not taken by surprise in the future.” He turned and started down the long hallway, hands moving behind his back, holding at the wrists. Jesse scrambled to follow him, not wanting to let that scent get away, and felt the guards close on his heels.

Hanzo led them through the winding halls, and despite the scents of at least two other Omegas, he was focused wholly on the one before him. He felt something inside of him stirring, making him ache to reach out and touch, to taste… It was all he could focus on, all he _wanted_ to focus on.

When the man stopped he turned to face those following and frowned, “Are you certain you are in control, Jesse McCree?”

No. Not even a little bit. “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he tried to put as much confidence as he could into his voice.

“Very well then,” he turned and slid open a double-door painted deep red, embellished with golden dragons. The room inside was an open space with the only furniture being a low table in the center. The flooring was a tatami mat, and as Jesse went to step inside Hanzo’s hand shot out and barred him firmly, the contact like a shock of electricity through his system. He looked to the man, curling his fingers into his palms, digging crescents into the skin in an attempt to keep himself focused on the real world.

“Your shoes,” Hanzo finally spoke, pulling his arm away.

Jesse blinked as he recalled that right, that was a big deal here. He quickly dropped down to his ass to pull his boots off, setting them aside only to realize that Daniel was staring at him. Hanzo turned and walked into the room, and Jesse whispered, “What?” to his companion.

The man scoffed, “You’re supposed to be an Alpha, you’re acting like a little cunt.”

The outlaw puffed up and hissed back, “I don’ wanna be castrated!”

He was rewarded with Daniel rolling his eyes as he toed off his shoes and set them aside, stepping around Jesse to walk inside.

Hanzo sat on his knees at the table, with Daniel adjacent to him. Jesse swallowed as he pondered where to sit, because he _wanted_ to sit beside Hanzo, wanted to be as close to that scent as he could. He realized that the man was watching him, brow raised, then nodded to spot behind Daniel. He took the hint and scrambled to settle behind the man, on his knees, staring at the table as he took the moment of respite to take in the smell.

His pants were too tight to focus on much. It took all of his willpower to not hump at the floor.

Perhaps he was starting to understand why Alphas were nearly extinct…

A sound from the other end of the room drew everyone’s attention, the man at the far side an imposing figure. Though not physically tall, he walked with a straight back and set shoulders, long dark hair pulled into a topknot and his facial hair neatly groomed. He wore a longer Kimono, and walked with certainty, though his eyes were narrowed and his nose wrinkled, “You would _dare_ bring an Alpha into my home?”

Jesse swallowed when the man’s eyes turned to him, making him shrink back.

“I swear I didn’t know,” Daniel said, “And I was instructed to bring him before you. Do with him as you wish.”

_Traitor!_ Jesse’s brain reeled at the idea that Daniel would give him up so readily. He swallowed and shifted back as Lord Shimada approached with a murderous look in his eyes, stalking past the table and approaching Jesse directly.

“I see fear in your eyes, Alpha. You are wise. But you stink of lust and desire,” he lowered his hand to his sash and drew a knife from its folds, “Guards.”

Too many things happened at once for Jesse to properly parse. He was grabbed again and pinned to the floor despite his struggles, a new wave of panic washing through him at the thought of what Lord Shimada intended to do with that knife. Both guards had knives drawn as well, the blades pressed at the flesh of his throat to keep him still as he let out a pathetic whine.

“Father,” Hanzo had stood from the table and stood between the Lord and Jesse, resolute and firm. “He is an Alpha, yes, but this is his first experience scenting an Omega. Would you persecute him for how he was born?”

“Then let this be his first and last experience. I will not tolerate his presence.”

Hanzo began to speak in Japanese, the words flowing smooth from his lips. Jesse would have appreciated it more if he didn’t fear for his genitals. And his life. That too.

Though the argument seemed monotone, Jesse could scent the frustration in the air. It was also at that point that he realized that Lord Shimada was the source of the second Omega scent he picked up. Similar to Hanzo’s, but nowhere near as enticing. He took a few deep breaths, figuring that if he was going to die here bleeding out on the floor after they cut his balls off, he would at least enjoy what he could.

Finally Lord Shimada huffed and growled, “You are a stubborn child.”

“You taught me very well,” Hanzo returned with a wry smile.

“H-Hanzo? Does this mean I get to keep my, y’know…”

“He is _Young Lord_ to you, Alpha!” Lord Shimada snapped swift and harsh, making Jesse jump enough that he felt a sliver of blood slide down the side of his neck.

“Sorry! Sorry, Young Lord, got it!”

“Father you’re scaring him…” Hanzo sighed.

Lord Shimada growled, “It would seem that Fate has smiled upon you this day, Alpha. My eldest son is due to go into Heat soon, and has requested that you prove yourself worthy and fight for the honor of spending that time with him. Fail, and you will be returned to America, and banned from Hanamura lest you be subjected to _my_ whims. I am not so kind…”

Jesse swallowed, “Er, whatever you say. Just tell me what to do and where to go.”

Jesse didn’t even notice the knife leave the Lord’s hand, only heard the thud and saw the blade jammed into the floor between his legs, “You will be silent and respectful.”

“Y-Yessir!”

“ _LORD!_ ”

“ _Yes Lord Shimada Lord Sir…_ ” Jesse worried he would start hyperventilating.

The guards pulled away all at once and Lord Shimada turned to take his place at the table opposite Danial. Hanzo turned and caught Jesse’s eyes for a brief moment before he went to return to his place at the table. Jesse just scrambled upright a moment later and hunkered down behind his companion, silent as the grave as the meeting _finally_ began.

 

* * *

 

Jesse never needed a smoke more in his life than he did that night. The meeting with Shimada had been long and stressful, and afterwards Daniel had more than a few choice words. Hanzo had vanished by then, and the outlaw was put in a room with a mat on the floor and not even a TV to entertain himself. Luckily Daniel’s room wasn’t much better, apparently it was a standard for guests of the Shimada manor.

Jesse was just thankful that the room had a sliding paper door leading outside. There was a short wooden deck the wrapped around the whole of the house, and beyond that was the zen-garden and bell from before. He settled down with his back to a support beam and pulled out his cigar case, picking a cigar before he went to work lighting it. The nicotine sent a pleasant buzz through his system, and the scent of the smoke calmed his nerves and let him finally relax.

His mind wandered as he sat there, mostly centering on the face of the beautiful and handsome Hanzo Shimada. Jesse didn’t think there was a lovelier creature in all the world, and he was more than a little disappointed that their first meeting had been so dominated by fear.

It was only just starting to sink in… Hanzo had come to Jesse’s defense not once, but twice.

“Those things will kill you,” the familiar voice was carried by the wind and Jesse startled back to reality to find the object of his thoughts walking barefoot towards him, steps silent across the lacquered wood.

The outlaw blinked once, then exhaled a lungful of smoke through his nose, “Does it bother you?”

“No, but cigars are awful for you,” the Omega reiterated. He was closer, five feet from Jesse before he invited himself to sit in the open space beside Jesse and leaned back on his hands. Their knees were almost touching.

Jesse just huffed a soft sound and tapped the cigar ash into the gravel lining the deck, “I tell you what, if I live long enough for the smoking to be my end, I’ll consider myself a lucky man.”

There was a pause before Hanzo nodded, “I suppose that’s one way to think of it.”

Jesse nodded and silence settled into the space. He took the opportunity to study the Omega, now dressed in a proper _gi_ with a low v-line showing off the defined muscle of his chest. It had poor Jesse’s mouth going dryer than a dust storm… He finished his cigar and ground it out into the gravel before he put the butt back in the case, not wanting littering to be the cause of his death at the hands of Lord Shimada. He smirked, “Your father’s a scary man, Hanzo.”

Hanzo laughed, a short and concise sound that left the corners of his lips turned upwards. Out in the open space and with the remnants of the cigar smoke to dilute it, the scent was nowhere near as overwhelming as it had been, and Jesse could focus on the Young Lord properly. He could appreciate the youthful beauty of his face, the defined lines of muscle on his arms, and that tattoo peeking out at the edges of the sleeve and the top of his shoulder. “Yes well, he’s not fond of Alphas.”

“I couldn’t tell,” Jesse smirked.

“He was alive during a time when Alphas were more prominent. He was subjected to sexism and cruelty, from what I can understand,” the smile faded, and the outlaw immediately missed it.

Jesse could understand that to a degree, but he quickly changed the subject, “You know I always heard that Omegas were meek, submissive types. I guess the textbooks got that wrong, ‘cause between you ‘n your father I about had the piss scared out of me.” At first Hanzo appeared upset before his expression softened and Jesse continued, “Then again, they said Alphas are supposed to be overly aggressive and dominant, an’ well, that’s just not really me.”

Hanzo cocked his head curiously, “Yes, my father calls them stupid and sex-obsessed. But you don’t seem to fit that either. It’s why I told my father that I would let you fight to share my Heat with me.”

The outlaw pondered that for a brief second, “You mind explaining that to me? There was so much goin’ on earlier.”

Hanzo raised a brow, “It is a Shimada tradition. We choose only the strongest and most honorable to lay with during our Heats. If you prove yourself as strong and honorable in combat, then I will welcome you to my nest.”

Jesse just let his mouth hang open for a second before he formulated a response, “Right and this… Heat… I get the general idea but uh, I’d rather have it straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“Are you calling me a horse?”

“Wh- no! I mean, horses are fine creatures-“

“So I’m a creature now?”

“I-“ Jesse stammered, mouth agape as he struggled for words.

Hanzo laughed again, amusement evident on his face, “Apologies, it was too easy.” He cleared his throat, “Omegas are subjected to Heats. It means that their body seeks a mate for breeding. Different Omegas have different cycles. For me, it’s every six months or so, though those like my brother are not so fortunate. His is every other month.”

Jesse was caught up on one thing, “Did you say breeding?”

“Yes, but I assure you that I’m on proper medication. I won’t be seeking to conceive a child this time.”

“This time…”

“I am promised to another. But just because I cannot conceive doesn’t mean my body does not still try. It’s as if my brain shuts off for a time,” he frowned, resting his chin on one knee as his eyes seemed lost in thought.

“You don’t seem to like it that much…” Jesse couldn’t help but comment.

“I dislike being so…” he struggled for a moment before he said something in Japanese, shaking his head, “I am told it is easier to manage when you have a proper Alpha partner.”

“So Betas don’t cut it?”

Hanzo’s smile was shy and made poor Jesse’s chest clench painfully, “I’ve never had another person as a partner.”

“An’ you’re askin’ me?!” The thought threw the outlaw off, and would have staggered him if he weren’t already sitting.

Hanzo sighed, but his expression remained amused, “Previously my Heats have been spent with Omnics who are…designed for such things. But they are not flesh, they don’t have the capacity for truly enjoying sex. You are the first Alpha I have met who I feel has the potential to be both honorable and strong enough for me.”

That floored Jesse, his mouth hanging open again.

“And this, right here?” Hanzo gestured around them, “This is my proof. You’re talking with me, not growling at me. You ask questions instead of making assumptions. And you are humbled by my decision. That, Jesse McCree, is what I saw in your eyes when we met today. So in a few days, you will fight, and should you succeed, I will be honored to bring you to my nest.”

Jesse still had no words, save for the fumbled, “Well, th-thank you,” that spilled from his lips.

“Come here,” the man gestured with his hand and Jesse moved to oblige, scrambling to settle beside Hanzo until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. “Now…stay still.”

The Alpha could scent Hanzo better up so close, and the smell settled into him like a rolling wave. However when Hanzo leaned in, he froze stone-still as he watched the Omega with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty as he took his first tentative scent of Jesse.

It came as something of a surprise as the smaller leaned in and buried his nose in the folds of Jesse’s shirt, and a new scent touched the air. It took a moment for the Alpha to pick up the change, but it was pleasant and warm. Hanzo was enjoying himself as he nosed against various places, up over the man’s chest, pausing where Jesse’s undershirt gave way to skin. The outlaw struggled to maintain even breathing as he offered Hanzo a smile, “S’alright, I won’t bite.”

“I like your scent,” Hanzo admitted as if it were shameful.

“Well thank you, yours is mighty nice too. I reckon it’s the nicest thing I’ve ever scented.”

“All Omegas smell nice,” Hanzo huffed, but finally moved upwards to scent at Jesse’s bare skin. The press of the man’s nose, the tip cold, sent a thrill down the Alpha’s spine.

He swallowed hard and returned the huff, “Well I’m sure they do, but the other two I scented don’t quite smell like Heaven came down and touched earth.”

At this Hanzo laughed, “You…are quite the sweet talker, Jesse McCree.”

“It’s jussss-“ Hanzo had moved up further, the junction of neck and shoulder where a mating mark would be, causing Jesse’s whole body to feel light and fluttery while something deep within his chest seemed to claw and snarl. It took him a moment to regather his wits and recall his words, “It’s just uh… Just the truth…” He swallowed, “Hanzo…”

“This is there a mating mark would go…” the smaller commented idly, and the sensation of a warm, wet tongue tasting the flesh was very nearly Jesse’s undoing. His breath hitched and his hands fisted at his sides, but Hanzo finally moved on, up the man’s neck and into his hair, against his ear, along his jaw until finally they were nose-to-nose.

For the first time, Jesse made the move. Unable to help himself any longer he surged forward and sealed their mouths together in a desperate need to taste the Omega. Hanzo’s lips parted easily, welcoming him in. Jesse felt lost in the indescribable tastes, bursts of floral and spice over his tongue, his chest clenching again. Luckily, it seemed Hanzo was just as far gone as he pressed back into the contact, returning each affection.

Jesse’s back pressed into the wood, only then noticing that Hanzo had been pushing him slowly down. Strong hands gripped his shoulders, as if Jesse might up and run away – though likewise he realized his own arm had gone out and wrapped around the Omega’s waist, holding him closer.

When they broke apart they were both panting, and Jesse felt a little dizzy. They feinted at a few more feather-light kisses before Hanzo finally pulled himself away and sat up. What a sight he was though, lips kiss-swollen and pupils blown black with lust. It took a considerable amount of willpower not to want to push Hanzo back down for another round, to add messy hair to that beautiful look.

“I… I should go…” Hanzo said, his voice breaking.

“If you gotta,” Jesse managed, his voice not much better.

Hanzo scrambled to stand, and Jesse followed suit, reaching out when the Omega turned to flee. He kept his grip light as he wrapped his fingers around Hanzo’s wrist, turning the other as he brought that hand up and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Hanzo’s knuckles, then another to the back of his palm. He’d seen it done in all the old cheesy Westerns he used to watch with his Ma, and judging by the flush of red that came across those beautiful pale cheeks, it worked.

He let the Omega go, he pulled his hand away tentatively before Hanzo turned and fled into the night.

With heart pounding and adrenaline tingling through his system, he knew now that he wanted nothing more in the world. He would fight, and he was going to _win_.

 

* * *

 

By the time Jesse dragged himself to bed he was still horny, grumbling as he weighed the pro’s and con’s of relieving himself. Under any normal circumstance he wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but he was damn sure that Lord Shimada would know if he did. It was a scary thought that he could lose his balls just for using them.

Still the more he tried to ignore his problem, the more he reminisced on Hanzo. His face, his taste, his scent in the air mingling so well with Jesse’s. He wanted it, craved it. He hadn’t even known Hanzo for twenty-four hours and already he wanted nothing more in his life than the beautiful Omega with a smile so pretty and a scent like Heaven.

He wondered if Hanzo was as worked up as Jesse was. He thought back to the look of those lust-blown pupils, the swollen lips that were just begging to be kissed more. He felt his body stirring again, making him squirm and groan, his erection hot and uncomfortable between his legs. He doubted Hanzo was having the same problems…

Flickers of images came to mind; Hanzo spread out over a duvet, naked. A long, lean body as elegant as it was powerful, the fingers of one hand down to the length between spread thighs. Fuck Jesse wanted that, wanted to see that, _taste_ that.

It was hopeless. He wouldn’t get sleep without release.

Blindly he grabbed for his duffel bag and pulled out one of the button-ups he brought and dug to the bottom for his oil. Unscented. A few drops on his palm and he flopped back down, taking himself in hand as he gave in and let the images return. The scent of Hanzo still strong in the air, it wasn’t hard to imagine that smell coupled with his fantasies. Hanzo moaning, arching his back, pleading. Jesse wanted to come to his aid, to crawl over the Omega and bite a mating mark onto his neck, to hold him and fill him in all the best ways.

He wondered if Hanzo would scratch down his back, strong fingers leaving deep red marks against his tanned skin. If he would use his teeth to bite a matching mark on Jesse, leave hickeys on his skin. He certainly seemed the type who would enjoy a bit of rough play, who wanted a partner who could keep up with him.

Jesse would happily take it all, every little bit and return it right back. He would sink himself in and give the Omega pleasure neither of them quite understood, tie them together with his…

_Shit._

The Alpha huffed and wrinkled his nose as he growled. He felt the base of his cock swelling with his knot. It wasn’t something that happened often, only when he went into rut, though he supposed it made sense he would react like this to the scent of Omegas.

He reached down with his other hand, grabbed the swelling knot and hoped that he could stave it off. The flesh swelled into his fist, tight to the point that he was seeing stars. Hanzo would be tight too, but Jesse would bet everything he had that the Omega would take it like a pro and still want more.

He scrambled for the shirt, balling it up and covering his tip when he came with a low whine. He always came more when he had his knot, copious amounts wetting the shirt and making him shiver as the pleasure crested.

He tossed the shirt aside once he finally finished, heaving for breath like he had just run ten miles.

It was official, Jesse McCree was _fucked_.


	2. Chapter 2

Just as he figured, the following morning, when he came to settle down for breakfast, three pairs of eyes were staring him down. Even with a bath and a copious amount of floral smelling soaps, he probably still scented of a sated Alpha.

He settled down beside Daniel, who was blissfully oblivious to the situation. Lord Shimada sat directly across from them in the private dining hall. It was a warm space with natural, earthy colors and delicious scents coming in from the open sliding door leading to the kitchen. It was hard to focus on that, of course, as he cleared his throat, “Howdy…”

Hanzo sat to his father’s right, however the figure to his left was new. A sweeter scent than Hanzo’s, though not nearly as savory. This man was short, even shorter than Hanzo, with green hair and a white Kimono. He wore a lazy smile which widened as he waved to Jesse, “You must be the American Alpha.”

Jesse couldn’t help a surprised little laugh at the broken tension, “Ah, yeah I guess that’s me. Jesse McCree, who might you be?”

“None of your concern,” Lord Shimada’s sharp voice cut over the conversation and nearly had Jesse wincing back.

The Omega scoffed, though Jesse chanced a look to Hanzo who just seemed to be trying to wake up. His scent was different, spicier. It clung to the back of Jesse’s throat like he could taste it. Though his eyes were lidded and his hair was pulled into a haphazard tie.

“Anyway,” the smaller went on, distracting Jesse back to the newest Omega, “I’m Genji.”

Jesse cautiously looked to Lord Shimada to silently ask permission. The man raised a brow, then as if pleased enough, he sighed, “Very well.”

The outlaw cleared his throat and offered Genji a smile, “Nice to meet you. I like your hair.”

This made Genji brighten up, a slew of Japanese spilling from his lips that had Jesse just stare and smile. Hanzo finally spoke up, “Genji, he doesn’t speak Japanese,” Hanzo turned to Jesse and offered a polite dip of his head, “Likewise, Genji is still learning English. He forgets himself sometimes.”

“Well that’s alright, I suppose he’s still making a good effort. Sadly I only know Spanish. Well, Mexican Spanish, I suppose,” he shrugged.

The door to the kitchen opened and an Omnic came in with a pitcher in hand. A servant-Omnic… Jesse was surprised Lord Shimada would allow Omnics anywhere near he and his sons considering the danger they could present. However Lord Shimada raised his hand stiffly, “Wait,” he told the Omnic who stopped completely while the Lord stared down at Jesse with something hardened in his eyes, “The Alpha will serve us.”

Jesse let out a surprised sound, watching the unreadable expression of the Lord before looking to the pitcher. Something inside of him rebelled, the same thing that reacted to the scents of the Omegas so violently. He struggled to ignore it, pushing the instinct down.

Putting on a smile he went to stand, “Well, I reckon I could do that,” he obliged. The look of surprise on the faces of everyone at the table was enough to make his decision worth it as he accepted the pitcher from the Omnic. He went to Lord Shimada first, filling his glass, then Hanzo, Genji, Daniel, and himself. The Omnic had gone back to the kitchen and returned with a tray, which Jesse once again took and placed out the bowls of rice and saucers of pork.

By the time he sat back down, everyone had started eating. Lord Shimada was watching him with something less cruel in his eyes. “ _Arigatou_ , Jesse.”

The outlaw’s jaw nearly fell open at that. He didn’t know much Japanese, but he knew that much at least. A glance to Hanzo confirmed that even he was surprised by this.

“Jesse!” Genji’s eager voice began halfway through breakfast, “Have you ever ridden a horse?”

At the welcomed distraction Jesse chuckled, “Sure have, I got one back home. Her name’s Jessabelle. Orneriest beast east of the Rockies!” He smiled at the look of excitement Genji got on his face, “Remind me later, I got a picture of her on my phone.”

“Jessabelle, interesting name,” that was Hanzo, watching Jesse from the corner of his eyes with masked amusement, “Jesse-belle.”

Jesse couldn’t help but bark a laugh, “Aww, you got me. I’m not real clever with names and I suppose it just felt right.”

“Well I like the name,” Genji insisted, “It has a nice _ring_ to it.” Both Genji and Jesse shared a laugh at that, though he caught Hanzo rolling his eyes despite the small smile.

“Have you ever been in a shootout?” Hanzo this time.

“I have. Not as fun as the Westerns make ‘em out to be. My first one I took a bullet to the shoulder,” it was an unpleasant memory that had him frowning at the thought. He smiled at Hanzo’s masked expression, “Just gave me a new appreciation for what a gun can do, and means I don’ leave a dead man to suffer.”

“I see…”

“Do you know any martial arts?” Genji again.

“I took a Karate class when I was a boy…”

Genji chuckled, “You should come train with us today.

He looked to Lord Shimada who frowned heavily, “He may watch, but cannot participate.”

Genji huffed a whine, “Why not?”

“Father’s right,” Hanzo agreed firmly, “It wouldn’t be a good idea…” He said something in fluid Japanese that went clear over Jesse’s head, but sounded pretty nonetheless. Genji’s expression suddenly showed understanding and he nodded, saying something in return.

He was thankful that Lord Shimada didn’t have him do the dishes as well. Hanzo and Genji excused themselves, and Daniel, Jesse, and Lord Shimada stood and made their way to a proper meeting space. Daniel and the Lord spent three hours discussing the Opium trade, and Jesse had to stop himself from falling asleep more than once. Thoughts of Hanzo helped keep him awake, but the pointed glare he got withered those thoughts away quickly.

 

* * *

 

It was just past noon when Jesse got back to his room for a short breather before he would have to go watch Hanzo and Genji practice. He idly wondered at getting an Omnic to wash his soiled shirt before it got him into more trouble. Lord Shimada seemed to be kind enough to let Jesse live on a very dangerous edge, but the Alpha didn’t want to take chances. Yet as he scanned the room’s sparse layout he realized that his shirt had gone missing.

He swallowed down a lump of anxiety as he darted to his duffel bag and dug around inside, finding all of his clean clothes but still no sign of his ruined shirt.

Panic swelled in chest, wild thoughts of what Lord Shimada would do if he caught wind of it…

“Jesse!” Genji’s voice sounded from outside, drawing the man’s attention from his growing unease, “Come on, we’re starting soon!”

“A’right,” he called back, trying to calm his momentary unease. He went to the sliding door leading outside and let himself out, smiling when he found Genji sitting on the deck, “I got my phone if you still wanted to see a picture of Jessabelle,” he offered to the Omega.

The smile only brightened as Genji jumped to his feet, “Sure!” He bounded the space between them in an effortless move, wrapping his arms around one of Jesse’s as he pressed himself too close. It only served to make the cowboy tense as he tried to step away only for Genji to keep a tight hold, keeping himself plastered tight to Jesse’s side without concern.

The Omega deigned to lead them across the courtyard while Jesse tapped at his phone and tried to ignore the pressing eagerness of Genji at his side. He didn’t like the idea of this Omega, pretty as he was, getting his scent on Jesse when he wanted to smell of Hanzo more than anything. A small part of the gunslinger knew that it was strange for him to have such a lack of reaction when a pretty Omega was cuddling up to his side, and tucked that concern away for another time.

He pulled up an image of his sweetheart, a chocolate quarter horse with the biggest brown eyes anyone ever did see. Genji smiled at the picture, taking the phone quick as lightning before he started to thumb through the pictures. “Hey now,” Jesse chided lightly, “It’s rude to go through a man’s phone without his permission.”

“Why do you have so many pictures of food?”

Jesse let out a huff, “Because I _like_ food,” he pointed out, “And some places make food that looks right pretty.”

“Americans seem so obsessed with food…”

The cowboy rolled his eyes and reached out to snatch up his phone, “Why do you Japanese people seem so obsessed with rice and ramen?” he asked, sticking out his tongue.

“That’s racist!” was Genji’s quick comeback.

They passed from the Courtyard into the garden, following the path towards the temple rising up before them. Jesse followed Genji inside, kicking off his shoes before being pulled into the inner sanctum, a massive space with high ceilings and a mural of two dragons painted on the far wall. Paper lanterns lit the space and gave it a private atmosphere despite its size, and the incense burning from various crevices helped to relax away Jesse’s tensions.

He was taken up the steps leading into a back room, a smaller space with tatami floors and blue mats. Jesse took quick note of the padded equipment lining the walls, punching bags, kendo sticks, sword racks, and more. The dojo was composed of opened windows and doors, light spilling in and giving it a timeless feel. The space in the center of the room was lowered, giving ample space for practice.

It paled in comparison to the sight of Hanzo who was approaching from the middle of the floor, once again without a shirt on. Something burned in his eyes, fiery and hot, making Jesse’s heart thump awkwardly and his dick twitch in his pants until the fury of that gaze turned on him. The cowboy flinched back under the power of the glare.

Hanzo blinked and turned that fire to Genji who appeared smiling and oblivious, “You’re late.”

Jesse tried to step away, get out of the younger’s hold but he was held fast to his side, Genji smiling at Hanzo with a teasing expression, “Sorry, we got distracted…”

He could scent the anger in the air now, mingling with that pungent spicy aroma from earlier. It occurred to him that the elder Omega was _jealous_! He swallowed down the lump in his throat as he tried to pull away again, “I dunno about _we_ ,” the man said as Genji still refused to let go.

Hanzo huffed and took half a step forward, reaching out to grab his brother by the ear. Genji struggled for a moment before he was forced to release Jesse, staggering forward with wails of disapproval, his words lost in his native tongue. Jesse just brushed the arm of his jacket off as he watched Hanzo march his sibling to the center of the mat and push him forward.

The cowboy looked around before he went over to the edge of the deck surrounding the sparring mat and settled down on his knees to watch the two work.

The air was heavy with tension and anger roiled from Hanzo in thick waves. Jesse was mildly concerned and had every instinct to reach out and comfort the Omega and soothe the fury from his scent.

Genji lost his playfulness shortly after his brother let him go. The two stood at the mat, facing one another. They fell into a bow…

It began almost faster than Jesse could register. Genji was the first to move, his body twisting into a roundhouse kick that had the cowboy’s heart clenching in his chest. Hanzo was just as fast, ducking down, lashing out with his fists. The younger took the hit, flowed with it, grappled and lunged.

Jesse didn’t know how long they sparred, his heart feeling like it wanted to race out of his chest as he repressed every urge to run in and protect both of the Omegas. He wanted to pull Hanzo into his hold and calm him. It sure didn’t look like a spar to the cowboy though, the pair didn’t seem to be holding anything back. They were beautiful, graceful, deadly…

And _sexy_.

Genji landed a kick and Hanzo fell back, rolling to his feet with ease. Hanzo connected with a palm-strike, leg-sweep, but missed with the follow-through kick. It was an elegant, violent dance. It occurred to Jesse that either of these Omegas could probably very easily beat his ass in a fight. Somehow that just made him _hotter_.

Jesse was trapped in a state of reoccurring panic and arousal…

He became aware of words. Japanese huffed harshly between blows, the words going over the cowboy’s head but they sounded angry. They were arguing over something mid-fight.

Genji seemed faster than his brother, quick and agile, dancing and dodging between blows. Hanzo put more force into his strikes, and when he connected a hit it was enough to send Genji sprawling back, forcing him on the defensive until he got his bearings again.

The fight was over as quickly as it began, Hanzo delivering one final brutal kick to his brother’s side that sent him crashing to the ground. Worry erupted in Jesse’s chest when Genji didn’t immediately roll back to his feet, though it was difficult to focus on that when Hanzo rounded on Jesse and stalked towards him with long, determined strides and an expression like a looming thunderstorm.

The cowboy was halfway to standing when the Omega reached him, the fire in his eyes blazing brighter than ever, sweat clinging to his skin and surrounding Jesse with a thick dose of his scent. Hanzo grabbed him, two fistfuls of the man’s jacket and seated himself down, pushing into Jesse’s lap as he pulled the cowboy into a firm, rough kiss. Their teeth clacked together and Jesse scrambled to gather himself as his hands flew to Hanzo’s hips on instinct.

Hanzo was _growling_ , a low rumble from the depths of his chest, a sound that rolled through Jesse like a shiver. His mouth was invaded by the Omega’s tongue and it tasted sweet and tangy, though something else was there, driving at the back of Jesse’s mind. Familiar.

When Hanzo pulled away he was still growling, the sound edging into his voice when he spoke in heavily-accented English, “You are _mine_ , Jesse McCree. My brother _cannot_ have you.”

Jesse felt his breath hitch when his mind pieced together what had just happened. Hanzo and Genji had been fighting over _him_. His jaw fell slack at that, but he remembered to nod under the fury of that scrutinizing gaze, “That was never a question darlin,” he breathed, one hand sliding up the Omega’s side to frame his face gently. Hanzo’s hair was damp with sweat and had come undone from its tie, letting it fall wild and loose around his face and shoulders, but Jesse worked his fingertips along the scalp anyway.

“He wanted to try for your attention,” Hanzo sounded petulant, but the growl was slowly evaporating. He leaned into Jesse’s hand, his breathing calming.

Jesse just offered him a gentle smile, “He could try all he wanted. Beautiful as he is, he don’ hold a candle to you. Now c’mere…” He couldn’t entirely explain his actions, pulling Hanzo towards him gently, tucking the Omega’s head against his neck. It seemed to work as Hanzo buried his nose against Jesse’s skin over the unclaimed mating mark, breathing him in deeply. Little by little the Omega seemed to calm as he tucked himself even closer.

It hadn’t dawned on the cowboy that Omegas might get territorial.

A glance to the side showed that Genji had picked himself up off of the mat, rubbing at his side as he watched the two. Jesse couldn’t help but feel bad, like he could have stopped the younger from getting hurt.

After Genji left to, hopefully, tend to any injury, Jesse and Hanzo remained as they were for many long minutes. Not that the cowboy minded one little bit. His hand trailed lazily up and down the Omega’s back, trying to offer comfort. The scent surrounding him very slowly lightened and eased, the spice remaining but the sharpness of the possessive fury faded after a while.

Hanzo finally pulled himself to sit upright, his eyes cast down in the first submissive display Jesse had seen from him. His voice was softer when he spoke, “My apologies… I acted terribly.”

Jesse shushed him while still rubbing at the Omega’s side lightly, “I don’ think I’m the one who needs the apology.”

The fingers in his jacket tightened as Hanzo’s eyes flashed with obstinacy, “Genji has seduced many Alphas. Any he chooses. Takes them to his bed, shares his heats with them. I will not apologize to him when he openly tried to seduce you as well.”

“He didn’t though,” the cowboy’s hand came up and settled on the back of the Omega’s neck, massaging the muscles there very carefully, “He came ‘n got me from my room, I showed him some pictures of Jessabelle, we showed up here.” Curiously Hanzo’s eyes nearly went cross, his whole body relaxing under Jesse’s hand as the tension melted away.

“He was clinging to you,” the bite in the man’s voice was dulled by the way he mumbled his words, “Trying to get his scent on you.”

Jesse couldn’t help a soft chuckle, “You’re the only one my nose wants. I only scent you.”

“But I can scent him on you!” the words were stronger and Jesse paused again when he felt that he understood.

He smirked and brought Hanzo down to press their foreheads together, “Alright, I won’t let your brother touch me anymore. The only scent that’ll be on me is yours. I’m real sorry Darlin…”

Hanzo’s lips pulled in a frown, his brows pulling together, “Why are you apologizing?”

“I seem to be pretty bad at this Alpha stuff. I don’ know the first thing about Omegas, an’ it feels like I’m screwin’ it all up. I know Alphas get pretty aggressive and territorial, it didn’ really dawn on me that Omegas could get the same way.” Jesse spoke carefully, watching Hanzo’s eyes for signs of displeasure, “So tell me what I can do. What can I do to make you feel better about this? So you don’ go hurtin’ your brother again.”

The Omega was searching Jesse’s face, the frown twitching as he considered. Finally he tugged softly, “Give me your jacket,” he said, fingers unclenching and smoothing over the leather, “Let me carry your scent with me. It… It calms me.”

Jesse smiled and sat back, rolling his shoulders to pull the clothing down his arms. Once the jacket was off, he pulled it around and lifted it over Hanzo’s shoulders, helping him into the sleeves before tugging it lightly, his own smile broadening when he saw Hanzo really had relaxed. “It’s a touch big,” the cowboy mused, “But it looks real handsome on ya.” The leather hung wide off of Hanzo’s shoulders and long on his arms, like a leather blanket more than a jacket.

“ _Arigatou_ …” Hanzo murmured, ducking his head and pulling the jacket up a little, taking in the scents.

The Alpha just looped his arms around Hanzo’s hips, pulling him closer, “You feeling better now?”

“Yes. I apologize again-“

“I told you, I’m not the one who needs the sorry bud,” Jesse implored. Hanzo gave an indignant huff, chewing his bottom lip, so the cowboy sighed and shook his head, “It’s none of my business though.”

“Does it upset you?” the Omega asked, his words quick from impulse.

“Nah. Not at all. I admit I’m concerned, but that’s the same as I would feel for anyone I watched get an ass kickin’ like that,” he chuckled and Hanzo’s lips pulled up in a reciprocating smile, “Now stop yer fussin.” Jesse smoothed his hands down Hanzo’s arms, fingers flexing around the muscle of the Omega’s biceps, “I gotta admit, you look real nice in my jacket.”

Jesse knew that Hanzo’s smile was a  rare thing, so seeing it spread so wide across his face and shine so brightly in those gorgeous honey eyes made the cowboy’s heart flitter in his chest.

The moment was broken by a sharp cough from the other side of the room. Jesse hadn’t even noticed another person enter, and he went rigid as he peeked over Hanzo’s shoulder and found Lord Shimada staring them down. Hanzo turned and stood in a single fluid motion, giving a deep bow, “Father.”

Lord Shimada dipped his head, eyes flickering from his son to the Alpha who remained frozen with fear on the floor. Jesse worried over the state he’d been caught in, that all-too-familiar fear for his testicles returning like a hollow pit in his belly. It only got worse the longer he held eye-contact with the man.

“Jesse McCree,” the words were spoken like cold iron that made the cowboy visibly flinch. Then the man breathed out, relaxing and the tension in the room uncoiled like a slackened rope, “Ease yourself. I have no intention to bring you harm this day. However…” Jesse swallowed at the implication that one word provided, “With Hanzo’s heat fast approaching, it would seem that, for the time being, I am going to have to have you two separated.”

“Father!” Hanzo’s words were spoken more swiftly than Jesse even registered what Lord Shimada had said.

“Wait, why?” he bumbled out a half-second later.

“It is not to be cruel. I realize that you have little knowledge of how Omegas work, and I have come to the conclusion that, in your case, that is for the best,” the Lord turned his eyes to his son, a thin brow raising on his forehead, “Hanzo. Go to your room.”

The words that flew from Hanzo’s tongue were far from English. Jesse could scent the change in the air, the acrid odor of anger. Lord Shimada appeared entirely unfazed, watching his son with muted emotions. When he responded, the words were even and calm. It felt like Hanzo’s spar with Genji all over again, with Jesse clueless as to what was actually going on. Actually, it felt like much of his time in the Shimada castle.

But Jesse was feeling pained as well. Like a punch to the gut. He stood and reached out, a firm hand taking hold of Hanzo’s shoulder, pulling him back and tucking him against Jesse’s chest. He stared Lord Shimada down over Hanzo’s shoulder as the Omega nosed into his neck, practically vibrating with anger, “Did I do something wrong?” Jesse demanded suddenly, the fear of the man before him evaporated at the idea of being barred from the man in his arms.

Lord Shimada blinked, his expression softening for a moment before he shook his head, “No. Quite the opposite. This is not a permanent arrangement. However Hanzo needs to clear his head. With his Heat so near, his emotional state is…precarious.”

Hanzo scoffed loudly, but Jesse smoothed his hand over the back of the man’s head, across soft silken hair.

“How does separating us help that?” Jesse’s voice was more even.

“It gives him time to cool off and re-center himself. Having him spar with you so close…that was a poor decision. I should not have allowed it,” the man shook his head, “But it would seem that I cannot make that demand of him now,” Lord Shimada raised both of his brows and nodded to Jesse.

It took several long moments of staring before the request clicked with some deep part of himself. Something he had rarely ever used or felt. The Alpha in his chest snarled and stirred. Jesse was being asked to issue a command, something Hanzo wouldn’t be able to deny.

He’d only ever heard of the ‘Alphas Voice.’ Never actually heard it, or saw it in use. Could he even use it to issue a command he didn’t want to make?

Lord Shimada was watching with veiled emotion as Jesse struggled with himself. Hanzo shifted, his nose brushing over the sensitive spot on his neck and making him shiver. It occurred to the cowboy that this was a test, much like breakfast had been. Something he wasn’t sure what the right answer was.

He swallowed hard, his hand coming up to rest on the back of Hanzo’s neck, rubbing it gently which caused the Omega to nuzzle against that spot. Heat was pooling between his legs, and he already knew that would end in blood if it continued. “Hanzo…” his voice was strained as he gave in, “You should listen to your father. Head back to your room.”

The shock of the fist hitting his chest was enough to send Jesse sprawling back onto his ass, blinking up at the furious Omega standing over him. Hanzo looked equal parts betrayed and murderous, and it broke the cowboy’s heart. Jesse now understood what Lord Shimada had meant about Hanzo’s emotional state.

The Alpha snarled like a beast in his chest, enraged that an Omega had struck out against him. Like the sense of retaliation that came after being struck, a burning pillar of fire searing in his chest. He seized that fury as he stood. The Omega was approaching, that murderous look fixed until, “ _Hanzo, stop._ ” Jesse was surprised at the sound of his own voice, deeper with a low growl laced into the tone, and was more surprised when Hanzo stopped like he had been forcefully grabbed.

Jesse swallowed, keeping hold of that burning energy in his chest, _“Do as your father said. Go to your room, clear your head._ ” Hanzo’s eyes had gone wide, and the guilt that the cowboy felt doused the fire in his chest. He relaxed, “Come find me once you’re feeling better darlin.”

Hanzo swallowed hard and his expression flitted between fury and betrayal. Finally he ducked his head and let out a low whine that broke Jesse’s heart, a pleading sound that had his knees shaking.

“Hanzo…” he said again, firmly but lacking the Alpha tone.

Suddenly he was being shoved, two hands on his chest, pushing back and once again throwing the cowboy on his likely bruised ass. Then Hanzo was turning and stalking out of the dojo, back straight, shoulders tense.

The sound of laughter confused Jesse until he looked over to see Lord Shimada shaking his head, chuckling to himself. Finally he met Jesse’s eyes, “You have much to learn, Cowboy. But you learn quickly I will give you that. Come. Stand. We have things to discuss…”

 

* * *

 

“Tell me, Jesse McCree, do you know the story of the two dragons?” Lord Shimada had led Jesse out of the dojo, following the short path leading back to the main chamber. Jesse glanced around the space, scanning it before turning his eyes back to Lord Shimada. Together they took the short steps down to the bamboo platform, where the Lord led them to the center of the room and stopped.

Jesse shook his head as he followed the man, hands resting at his sides as he didn’t know what else to do with them, “I’m afraid I don’t, Sir.”

“ _Lord_ ,” the elder stressed with exasperation, as if he were reminding a small child. He looked up to the mural hanging above the alcove leading to the dojo, “It is an ancient tale in our family, spanning back generations. Legend tells of two great dragon brothers, the dragon of the north wind, and the dragon of the south wind. Together they maintained balance in the land, and lived in harmony. The dragon of the north wind was strong and free-spirited, and the dragon of the south wind was resolute in his honor and duties.”

Jesse couldn’t help but fidget with the hem of his pocket as the Lord went silent, “I suppose this is the part of the story where things go wrong?”

Lord Shimada chuckled softly, “The dragons maintained peace within the land, but between one another was chaos. Though there was a deep love between them, their differences drove them to war. It was the dragon of the south wind, believing his brother to be too frivolous, who struck the final blow, laying his brother low to the earth. And though he was victorious, he soon broke to the hollowness of the Heavens, now void of his brother.”

Once again a lull crept over them and Jesse chewed his tongue for a moment in thought, “What happened next?”

The elder shook his head slowly, “A tale for another time.” He sighed and straightened his back, “Jesse McCree my sons are like those dragons, more than they realize. Their harmony was not one borne of the winds, but borne of each other. Brothers fight, it is true, one only needs to look at a history book to see this. But those two need to see that there is more to learn from one another than from anyone else.”

“While I can’t deny that, what…does that have to do with me?” the cowboy pressed lightly, unsure what spurred the impromptu history lesson. He turned his head to search the thoughtful visage of Lord Shimada studying the mural he had likely seen a thousand times or more.

Lord Shimada just hummed for a moment, considering his words, “Hanzo lashed out at his brother today. He did so because he feared that Genji’s lustful nature would pluck his newfound gem from his fingers. I watched as you offered him both comfort and council. You begged he apologize to his brother, and he will I am sure. As you have seen, my son has a temper. Much of the time it is a slow simmer, contained like a blacksmith’s forge. He is a skilled fighter, both of my boys are. But for Hanzo, more than Genji, when his flames are stoked his fires blaze a destructive force. You tempered his fire and calmed him faster than I have ever seen done before.”

Jesse reached up and scratched the back of his neck, “Well, to be fair he threw me on my ass two minutes later.”

Lord Shimada laughed again, loud and honest. Jesse could see where Hanzo got it from. “Yes. Yes he did. Twice, if I recall. However if my son were truly angry, if he wanted you hurt, you would not have been able to stand back up. I see it in his eyes, in his actions, he _likes_ you, Jesse McCree. And I must admit that, as far as Alphas are concerned, you are very likable. He has chosen you to be his first Alpha, and I believe he has made a good choice.”

The admission took Jesse off-guard, his jaw hanging slack as he stared at the Lord. He remembered himself after a moment, forcing his tongue to work, “Well thank you Si- er, Lord Shimada. That’s…that’s mighty high praise.”

“I am glad you recognize that. Which is why I am sure you will understand when I tell you this: You and Hanzo are to be kept separated until your trial.”

Jesse’s heart sank at that, and he felt the Alpha rising up again, “I’m… I’m afraid I _don’t_ understand though. If you think I’m so good for Hanzo, why are you gonna keep us apart?”

Lord Shimada turned to face his guest, nodding his head in a show of empathy, “As you have seen, the Omegas in our family are…different. Well, no perhaps you can’t know that. The Omegas of our blood are strong-willed, aggressive, dominant even. I have a deep fear that, should Hanzo grow too attached, if he gets too close before his Heat, he may wish to claim you as his mate.” The admission had Jesse’s heart thumping in his chest, excited and yearning. The man continued with a sigh on his voice, “Hanzo is promised to another. Genji, who is far more free with his body, he understands how to mate without getting his heart tangled. Both of my boys have duties to this family, ones that we all must uphold. You will both be tempted enough during his Heat to seal a bond, and the closer you two are the harder that will be to resist. But Jesse McCree you must understand how _cruel_ that would be to Hanzo if you form a bond you will not be allowed to maintain.”

The room went quiet, and the excited pace of Jesse’s heart had slowed to something more melancholy.

“I want Hanzo to understand that there are joys in this world, ones that come with who and what he is. I want him to know what it feels like to adore someone. To have excitement and lust and pleasure. But it is why I come to you, because you need to understand that there needs to be a line drawn. I see how he looks at you, I can taste his lust in the air. Once his Heat is upon him, he may not be capable of seeing that line any longer. I will have to trust that you will be able to.”

There it was. Lord Shimada, admitting that he would have to _trust_ Jesse McCree with his son’s heart. It was a sensation both daunting and humbling. “You’re askin’ a high price, Lord Shimada. I gotta say, I’m pretty smitten. Your boy…he’s like a storm over the parched desert. But I admit, I’m not well-educated on Omegas, less so on ones as strong-willed as Hanzo. If you say that this is right then, well, I’ll have to trust you.”

Lord Shimada hummed and dipped his head, “The ‘education’ that you lack is one filled with falsehoods and lies. I am perhaps thankful that you didn’t have it.” Then the man was crossing the short space between them, filling Jesse with trepidation before the man bowed and left the cowboy’s mouth hanging open yet again, “You show honor and respect, Jesse McCree. You will have the same in return.”

Lord Shimada straightened his back and nodded once more, then turned and left the temple with his Kimono fluttering behind his feet.

As he watched the man leave, there was only one thought in his head.

Jesse McCree was well and truly _fucked_.


	3. Chapter 3

Spending the rest of the day apart from Hanzo was agitating when he could scent the Omega everywhere he went. Jesse spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening smoking and pacing the ramparts along the outer edge of the castle. The smoke cleared his nose, at least.

His sleep was restless and he woke feeling groggy and sour. After he returned from his bathing he found breakfast waiting for him in his room, a reminder that he was barred from Hanzo’s presence. He pushed the tray aside and dressed.

There was a tap on the sliding door leading to his room, “Come in.”

He turned, half-hoping to find Hanzo in his doorway. His hope dissipated when he saw only an Omnic servant painted in faded blue and green. The Omnic bowed and held out a small blue box between his hands, “The Young Lord is terribly sorry that you were unable to attend breakfast with them. He requested that you be given this.”

Jesse raised his brow at the offering, “Thanks?” he reached out to take the box. The Omnic turned to leave shortly after the box exchanged hands, closing the door behind him.

It was simple, like a clothing gift-box. Curious, the cowboy flipped the lid off with one hand and found the contents inside. Settled on white tissue paper was his plaid button-down shirt, the one that had gone missing. His brows furrowed in confusion.

Then the scent hit him…

If it were possible to get drunk off of the scent, Jesse would have been powerless. _Hanzo’s_ scent was so potent and pungent, filling the space of the room and clinging to his tongue and throat. He felt rational thought fleeing him like the blood in his brain, going straight to his groin as his cock swelled in his suddenly too-tight pants.

The man slowly dropped to his knees and grabbed the shirt out of the box, pulling it to his face where he took a deep, greedy breath. It wasn’t just Hanzo’s scent, _Jesse’s own scent_ clung to the fabric, and the scent of his spend from the other night. Mixing with Hanzo’s, the scent of their sex mingling together. He moaned into the fabric, lips parting as he mouthed at the fabric and caught a burst of flavor over his tongue.

It was still _damp_.

Images ran rampant through his mind, the idea of Hanzo rubbing himself off while he breathed in Jesse’s scent, the thought of him spending onto the fabric, of mopping up the slick between his thighs. He had to remind himself to breathe clean air when his vision spun, panting and heaving like he’d run ten miles without a break before he shoved the cloth back to his nose. The little Omega minx had done this on purpose.

Somehow that just made it hotter.

The calm and honorable Hanzo Shimada jerking himself off, scenting an Alpha’s clothing, probably moaning Jesse’s name.

Suddenly the Alpha reeled in his chest, snarling and thrashing against some dark part of his mind. He hadn’t been there to please the Omega. He was getting only a second-hand taste of what he craved.

His heart was racing, pounding like pulses of roaring thunder in his ears.

He wondered if Hanzo had used a toy on himself because Jesse wasn’t there to tend to his needs. The Alpha could only picture his Omega with his thighs spread wide, twitching as he pumped some pathetic piece of plastic between his legs. He wondered if the man felt disappointed that Jesse wasn’t there, if he was upset. He had every right to be, because _Jesse wasn’t there._

He imagined himself getting up, abandoning the stupid shirt and scenting out his Omega. He would tear the castle apart if he had to. He would drag Hanzo to the nearest bed and mount him proper, would show him how _good_ it felt to have warm flesh between his legs, a strong body over him, protecting him. Jesse would revel in Hanzo’s sounds, the ones from his lips, the ones from their bodies.

He would claim those lips parted in pleasure, tame that fiery tongue, fuck them both to the edge of oblivion and then right over into the abyss. He would show Hanzo what a _real_ knot felt like, swelling inside of him, locking them together. Hanzo would squirm on it, would twitch and writhe and milk Jesse for every fucking drop in his body and still want more. And damn it all if Jesse wouldn’t give it.

Hanzo would want more. He was a man of strength and stubbornness the likes of which Jesse had never seen. He would ride Jesse dry, demand more while that tight, wet heat clamped around him like a _vice_.

Jesse snarled and gasped as his body trembled and tensed. Pain radiated up his spine as he sifted through his haze to realize that he had not only popped a knot in his pants, his thigh and jeans were soaked through on the right side from his cum. He hadn’t even touched himself, not once, as he sat trembling on the floor, on his knees.

He blinked back tears from the intensity of it all, shaking hand coming down to undo the fastenings of his jeans.

He somehow managed to kick off his jeans and lay on his back, naked, on his bed-mat.

 

* * *

 

Jesse refused to leave the room for the rest of the day, wrapped around the sweet smelling shirt. It was the only thing keeping him from going to find Hanzo, from defying Lord Shimada and going to mount _his_ Omega good and proper. And wasn’t that just the worst of it, because now his Alpha looked at Hanzo as his. He wanted Hanzo as his _mate_. They’d known each other only a few days, but Jesse was so far over the moon for the Omega there was no coming back.

He’d heard of these symptoms before. Alphas or Omegas who zeroed in on a scent, who cared about nothing else. Sometimes it was one-sided, but he doubted that. He still remembered Hanzo’s nose pressed to his neck like he needed Jesse’s scent more than air.

With the thought in mind, Jesse pulled the shirt to his nose and took a deep breath and rumbled contentedly.

 _Bondmates_. That was the word that he had been scrubbing his mind for. It was a dangerous thought, and nothing he could prove. After a few minutes of hazy thought, he grabbed for his phone and pulled up a search page. He rejected several websites that provided minimal information, but paused when he stumbled on an older looking, very poorly designed website. It was old-style, just text with minimal formatting.

 

 

> _Bondmates is the classification given to an Alpha and Omega who react only to one another. The concept of Bonding is one as old as the idea of Alphas and Omegas; a scent gland is located on the side of the neck over the external jugular. A Bond is formed when an Alpha or Omega bites into the gland and saliva transfers some of their DNA. From such point onward, for a minimum of three months (up to three years, as discovered by Doctor Peter Johansson) if the mark isn’t renewed, the scent of the marked Alpha or Omega reflects that of the one who marked them._
> 
> _In early days (pre-1900’s), marks such as these were used by Alphas only to mark an Omega as their breeding partner. Studies by Sexual Psychologist Doctor Hailey Mason suggest that these mating marks have a strong impact on both the breeding capability and the mental stability of those involved. One such study on Omega J.L. in 1998 showed that after being marked, sexual relations with partners outside of their Bonded resulted in severe depression and anxiety. This study, meant to be conducted over a period of six months, was canceled after forty-seven days when Omega J.L. attempted suicide. They were returned to their Alpha and closely monitored – their mental state stabilized shortly after._
> 
> _Doctor Mason later conducted a new study on Bondmates in 2012 and found that unlike most Alphas and Omegas, Bondmates reacted only to one another’s scent even before a Bond was made. After their scents were known to one another, both parties were separated and monitored over a period of six years. The non-Bonded pairs were able to live relatively normal lives, however the Bonded pair became melancholy and aggressive after a short time. Attempts to meet new partners, even during their respective Rut or Heat, showed minimal desire. The Alpha of one such pair displayed concerning levels of aggression during times of Rut and was deemed unsafe for an Omega partner._
> 
> _The Bonded pair showed distressing signs of both aggression and depression. Great care was taken to not repeat the concerning outcomes of Doctor Mason’s earlier social experiment._
> 
> _Bondmates seem to be a rare occurrence. It is estimated that less than 1% of the world’s Alpha and Omega population are capable of showing signs of a Bondmate connection…_

 

The rest of the article went into more detail on social experiments run on Alphas and Omegas. Jesse dismissed those for the time being and stared up at the ceiling. He thought about Genji and Lord Shimada’s scents, both nice but nothing compared to Hanzo. Another breath of the shirt made Jesse’s entire body react, a helpless need rolling through him.

He wanted to know more about Hanzo, his romantic heart ached for it.

With great effort, Jesse folded the shirt up and returned it to the box before he went to bathe again, trying to scrub his skin clean of the powerful scent. Even with most of it off his skin, it clung to his lungs and stuck around for every breath he took.

Once he was dressed in clean clothes, he dug out his case of cigars and went outside.

The fresh air and warm late-afternoon sun helped clear the man’s head as he stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the Hanamura Valley. He pulled out a cigar and pulled it between his lips before fishing out his lighter. He drew a breath from the stem and the tip lit up cherry-red as nicotine curled through his body, buzzing a low hum in his head and running static through his muscles. It was one of the simple pleasures in life.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Jesse’s peaceful moment was broken by his yelp of surprise, jumping to the side when he realized that Genji was suddenly _there_. Just next to him. He hadn’t heard or scented the Omega, and that was unsettling in itself.

Genji flashed a guilty smile, “Sorry.”

“No yer not,” Jesse sighed, feeling a smirk pull at the corner of his lips as he resettled along the stone wall. He wasn’t denied, but neither of them seemed to care. “Everything alright?” he finally asked as he exhaled a smoke ring into the air. He glanced to the side, watching Genji’s profile as the Omega looked out over the view.

“You know, when I was five, Hanzo was seven. Both of us had little stuffed dragons,” the man began, and Jesse settled in for another story that would eventually reach a point, “One day my dragon went missing. I looked everywhere for it, and cried when I couldn’t find it. The servants and father helped looked for it. Finally Hanzo stepped up and admitted that he threw my dragon over the wall. Father asked him why, and he said that he missed our mother, and blamed me. Our mother had been sick ever since she gave birth to me, which we later found out was cancer. She had given us those dragons. She died when I was three.”

Jesse frowned and reached out, resting a hand on Genji’s shoulder. He wasn’t good at giving solace, and none of the words in his throat felt right.

“Later Hanzo came to me and gave me his dragon. He told me that he didn’t really blame me, but it was easier to be mad at me. That was the last time he ever told me Gomen'nasai…er, ‘I’m sorry,’” the younger was looking down at his hands as he considered his words, “My point is, Hanzo doesn’t apologize. Not unless he knows he really fucked up. Even then, he won’t say it with words if he doesn’t have to. Too much pride.”

The cowboy let out a little hum, his hand falling from Genji’s shoulder, “I asked him to apologize to you.”

Genji chuckled, “I know you did. I appreciate it. But when Hanzo and I spar it isn’t uncommon that we get a little rough. Save for Father, there’s nobody else around who we feel is a challenge. Yesterday though… That was the first time Hanzo looked at me like an enemy, like he would actually hurt me if he had to. I threw the match, he knows it too. I understand though, I do,” he smiled, “Which is why it came as such a surprise when he apologized to me this morning.”

Jesse raised his brows, “He did?”

Genji nodded, “Yes. He was fearful that you might choose me over him, that he had to beat me to show you he was worthy of your affection. He thought I would try to take you away from him,” despite the words, the Omega was wearing a smile, “He _likes_ you. He didn’t apologize to me because he felt bad, he apologized because he’s worried that you’re upset at his display.”

“But I’m not,” Jesse countered quickly.

“I know, and you know,” the smaller chuckled. “I’ve taken Alphas to my bed before. I’m not _shy_ about my body or my being an Omega. But Hanzo doesn’t know how Alphas work beyond theory. Much the same as you don’t know how we work. So you two go off of instinct, which would be fine if we were still living in caves.”

The cowboy scoffed, “Callin’ me a caveman?”

“Perhaps. I have a question. Do you know why Father felt the need to separate you two?”

Jesse hummed, “He said Hanzo’s emotional state was off because he’s close to Heat.”

“Which isn’t wrong,” Genji pointed out quickly, “Omegas get crazy mood-swings the closer they get to a Heat. It gets worse when there are other Omegas around, they start to feel competitive and self-conscious. It’s similar when Alphas get close to Rut. They get aggressive, and it just gets worse if there are other Alphas around. Trust me though, there’s nothing hotter than two Alphas getting into fight over an Omega.”

“Speaking from experience?” Jesse chuckled.

“Yes. It’s part of the reason the Shimada Clan has Alphas fight for the honor of laying with an Omega,” he nodded solemnly. “So I’ve decided that I’m going to help you.”

The cowboy hummed, “An’ how’s that?”

“I’m going to teach you how to interact with an Omega, and make them putty in your hands,” the man declared.

There was a sense of worry at the thought. Jesse frowned, “Gotta repeat the question bud, how’re you gonna do that? Hanzo already freaked once, an’ that was just from you walking me to the temple.”

“It’s a fair question. We’ll have one of the servants help, you and I never have to make contact so it’ll keep scent to a minimum. We’ll stay in a public area, so there’s no concern about us being secretive. I want to help you. You seem to do well with your instincts, so a few facts should help you make my brother happy,” he smirked, “And I promise I’ll keep it clean. When it comes to you going to bed with him, you’re on your own.”

Jesse couldn’t help but laugh, “Well, I suppose it can’t hurt. A’right Genji, you got yourself a deal.”

The Omega preened openly, “Good! Then we’ll start first thing in the morning.”

 

* * *

 

As it turned out for Genji, ‘first thing in the morning’ meant after lunch. Jesse had spent his evening and early morning drowning in Hanzo’s scent, to what he realized was a very unhealthy degree. He didn’t much care though when he was wringing out his fourth orgasm, shivering like a leaf. It just smelled so fucking good.

That was how Genji found him, barging into Jesse’s temporary room only to realize what he was seeing. He backed out politely and waited for the Alpha to shower and clean up before he stepped outside and found the Omega on the balcony as he had been the night before. He looked over his shoulder as Jesse approached and flashed him a wicked grin, “Soooo?”

“Your brother is a cruel tease,” was all the Alpha said on the matter before pressing on, “So you’re gonna help me?”

Genji’s grin didn’t fade, but he resettled against the wall, “Yes. And for added insurance that Hanzo doesn’t beat either of us into the ground, I’ve enlisted the assistance of one of our on-staff Omnics. He’s going to act as both our training-dummy and chaperone.”

The cowboy nodded, “A’right, sounds like a plan, lead the way.” He straightened up and gestured. Genji pushed off the wall and turned to lead up the short steps back onto the main castle grounds. Their walk was a short one, just to the other side of the guest-housing in front of the Shōrō. As promised there was an Omnic waiting for them in the middle of the sand-garden.

He was taller, with a blue body and bright chrome joints. Faceless, as most Omnics were, which never failed to unsettle Jesse just slightly.

“Jesse, this is Kiyo,” Genji introduced with a wave of his hand.

The Omnic turned his head as if just realizing the pair had approached and gave a deep bow, “Good afternoon My Lord.”

Jesse raised one hand as way of greeting, unsure of the Omnic could even see him without proper eyes, “Nah, I ain’ a Lord or nothin. Just Jesse’s fine.”

“I have been informed by Lord Genji that I am to assist you in learning about how to handle Omegas on a social level,” the Omnic spoke, his voice crisp and eloquent.

“That sounds about right.”

“Please, sit,” Genji moved closer and lowered himself down to sit with his legs akimbo, waiting for Jesse and Kiyo to join him. “Now then, Jesse, tell me what you know about Omegas. What have you learned about us during your life?”

The man couldn’t help a chuckle, “After bein’ here a whole three days? Plum shit. I’d always been taught that Omegas were meek, soft-spoken. I know they go into Heat, but about all I know is it’s supposed to be like rut. An’ I know they got a spot for mating marks same as Alphas. I gotta say I watched a lotta real old Westerns as a boy, an’ those didn’t paint a pretty picture of Omegas.”

“No, I don’t imagine they did. And that’s the extent of your knowledge?” Genji pressed.

“Until I came here, yeah,” he shrugged.

Genji smirked, “You know, Omegas get a similar treatment of Alphas. These days, most Omegas are kept sheltered, hidden behind suppressants and scent blockers. They’re told that all Alphas are sex-crazed meat-heads. They’re told that an Alpha would rape them in the street if they so much as catch a scent. They’re loud, hyper-aggressive, and utterly careless of whatever an Omega can want. So tell me, is any of that true?”

“Hell no!” Jesse felt a burning shame in his chest, briefly recalling the first time he scented Hanzo. “I mean, before I came here I’d never met an Omega, never got the scent. It blind-sided me, I admit, but… Look, I can only speak for myself but-“

“That’s just it,” Genji cut in swiftly, “Right there. You can only speak for yourself. You are a person. An individual. Just like any and every Omega, Alpha, and Beta…” he paused and glanced to Kiyo, grinning, “And Omnic!”

“You flatter me, My Lord.”

Turning back to Jesse, the man continued, “I was always taught that Alphas are super aggressive, mean, uncaring… Sure, that’s some of them. Just the same as I’ve met sex-hungry Omegas who love nothing more than getting a knot, or I even know one who loves being pregnant. We’re all different. So I don’t want you to go into this thinking that all Omegas have the same personality or wants.”

“I… I never did?”

Genji’s smile was soft and genuine, “I didn’t think so. But father gave Hanzo and I the same speech when we were younger. Well, similar. I get the feeling you didn’t get anything like that.”

Jesse shook his head, “Nah.”

“Have you ever spent a rut with anyone?”

The cowboy reached up and scratched the back of his neck, “Yeah… Actually, most of ‘em. All Betas though.”

“Tell me how it feels to go into rut. I’m sure you’re pretty different right?”

Jesse shrugged, hands going to fidget in his lap. He hated talking about it, “Leadin’ up to it I can get real mean. Can’t tell you how many times I got into a scrap with someone just for lookin’ at me the wrong way. Tangled with another Alpha once just ‘cause he was in the room. Landed us both in the hospital.” He took a breath and sighed, “My sense of smell gets real strong, my voice gets deeper, I used to growl a lot before I got myself to stop.”

Genji reached over and patted Jesse’s hand, offering him a comforting smile before he pulled the hand away, “Your sense of smell picks up because your brain is looking for a suitable mate. You see, unlike Betas, Alphas and Omegas have these periods of high sexual drives because that’s when their bodies are most fertile. Beta women have periods of high fertility, but they don’t get the high sex drive. You get aggressive because your body needs to be ready to fight to defend its mate _or_ fight to impress a mate.”

“Sounds a bit barbarian to me…” Jesse hummed.

“It is, but that’s because it’s ingrained in our DNA. It’s why a lot of people, Betas especially, are of the mindset that Alphas and Omegas should be purged from the gene pool. It’s why there are so few Alphas and Omegas anymore. Fifty years ago, it was an average of one in five people were either Alpha or Omega, fifty years before that, one in four. Currently, it’s one in fifty. I heard that the man you came here with didn’t even know you were an Alpha.”

Jesse just sighed, “Guilty. In fact, save for the other Alphas in Deadlock, none of ‘em know what I am. Though I’m sure word’s already gettin’ around.”

“You know a bit already from seeing Hanzo. Omegas coming up to their Heat can get emotionally unstable. I think the scientific word for it is _crazy_ ,” Genji chuckled softly, “Our pheromones pick up in an effort to attract Alphas. You experienced that already with your nose in that shirt,” he winked and Jesse felt his face going red. “However much like Alphas getting aggressive with other Alphas, Omegas can get competitive or downright mean towards other Omegas. Once their Heat fully hits though, they’re really only focused on one thing.”

“So, what I want to help you with is how to handle my beloved brother before his Heat, so that you can survive to experience it,” the Omega laughed again.

“That’s real nice ‘o ya…I think,” Jesse felt himself returning the smile.

“One of the first things you should know is touch. All Omegas have spots on their bodies that, when touched, release serotonin…”

“You sure know a lot of the science stuff,” Jesse felt the sudden need to point out.

Genji just raised a brow, grinning, “I like knowing my body. In my training as well I had to learn about all types of opponents, Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Plus, I find it fascinating how the body works. Now, Kiyo,” he turned and stood, helping the Omnic to stand before him, “I’m going to use you to demonstrate. There are several spots on an Omega’s body that can help to relax them.” He walked to Kiyo’s side, one hand coming up to rest on the Omnic’s shoulder while the other moved down the arm, “The inside of the elbow here,” he showed the approximate spot, “Another on the back of the neck,” he moved to show that spot next, “And on the lower back, just above the tailbone,” he turned Kiyo to once again demonstrate.

“So touching those spots makes an Omega happy?”

“Well, happy and _safe_. It’s another of those ingrained things in our heads, things that make us feel safe or protected do wonders. And more, they’re all non-sexual zones. They’re safe to touch without drawing attention. There are two more spots that I won’t demonstrate for Kiyo’s dignity, but one’s on the back of the knee, and on the inner thigh, right around the middle,” Genji patted the Omnic’s back, “Got that?”

“Safe-spots, got it,” he nodded.

“Right. Omegas need touch, we crave it. Hanzo and I slept in the same bed together until I was ten. It brought us immeasurable comfort. Being close to someone, sexually or not, getting to touch and feel, goes a long way. So beyond those ‘safe-spots,’ don’t be shy to let Hanzo touch you in return.”

Jesse recalled his first night in the castle, having Hanzo pressed up against him. He felt warmth swell in his chest at the memory, followed by a strong urge to go find the Omega. He remembered Hanzo’s words, similar to the words from the dojo, and asked, “What about scent?”

“Just as important. For some, even more so. I know that I prefer touch, but others have a stronger preference towards scent. Alphas have two primary scent-points on their bodies, where the scent is stronger. One at the junction of the neck and shoulder,” Genji moved to show the spots on Kiyo, “And another one on the inside of the wrist.”

The cowboy couldn’t help the memories of Hanzo tucked in his lap, nose buried in his neck. He shivered at the thought, wanting that more than anything.

“You look like you’re ready to crawl out of your skin. That bored already?” Genji asked with a smirk.

Jesse snapped his attention to focus, “Sorry, no. This is all good information.”

“Tomorrow night is Hanamura’s monthly Market Faire. You should take Hanzo, get you both out of the castle.”

Jesse shook his head this time, “Lord Shimada says we need to stay apart until his Heat sets in,” though the words felt heavy on his tongue. He wanted to be with Hanzo _now_.

Genji scoffed loudly, “You’re a gang member, do you _always_ do what someone tells you?”

“Well, no. But I do like my balls bein’ attached to my body!” his hands moved as if to cover himself from the mere mention of it, “Bein’ apart from Hanzo is near drivin’ me up a wall.”

Both Genji and Kiyo moved to sit once again, the smaller studying Jesse with a critical gaze, then sighed, “Father wants Hanzo to marry into another powerful clan. It’s no secret that we Shimada are Omegas, we don’t hide it. Hanzo is promised to another Alpha, so that he can have children to carry on our line.”

The words were making Jesse uneasy. The thought of another Alpha getting Hanzo, the thought of the man being given away, “Omegas aren’t property. Haven’t been for a long time.”

“We aren’t. Hanzo was given a choice, and father convinced him it was more honorable to do right by his family.”

“Why hasn’t this arrangement taken place sooner?” Jesse felt the need to ask.

“Hanzo requested that it not take place until his intended turns twenty-five. It gave them both time to grow into their skin. I like to think he’s secretly waiting for his knight in shining armor, or,” Genji’s grin turned sly, “A rugged American Cowboy. Granted you two need more time to get to know one another.”

Jesse swallowed at the thought. He liked the idea, loved it. To steal Hanzo away, to live a happy life with that man at his side… He picked up Hanzo’s scent on the air, faint, ingrained into the castle walls themselves. “As nice as that sounds,” he sighed, feeling his heart drop, “You gotta realize that I’m nobody. Hanzo wants me because he’s close to his Heat, and once that wears off he’s gonna see me for what I am. I ain’ a Cowboy, just some Deadlock grunt who pro’lly ain’t gonna live to see thirty. I got no money to my name, barely even _got_ a name, not much of an education seein’ as I dropped outta High School. Even if Hanzo wants to continue, even if he wanted me after his Heat, it wouldn’t take long for him to see that there ain’t much to me. He’s gonna find way better prospects out there.”

Genji was quiet for a long while after that, honey eyes staring Jesse down. Finally he folded his arms, “If all that is true, then you might as well make what time you have with my brother good. You might not be a Cowboy, but you can let Hanzo think you are. Fuck what my father says, and fuck the goddamn rules. Hanzo has never wanted an Alpha before, so if he wants you then you better give him a damn good first impression.”

More silence stretched between them. A shiver ran up his spine at the thoughts running through his head, and finally his lips pulled into a smile, “I suppose that sure as fuck beats anything else. Just do me one favor, Genji?” he chuckled at the smiling man in front of him, “Make sure they play ‘Highway to Hell’ at my funeral.”

The Omega barked a laugh, loud and genuine, “You have a deal, my friend.”

The Alpha in Jesse’s chest stirred, “I’ll take him to that Market Faire, if he wants to go. Do you know where he’s hiding?”

“Sulking in his room, most likely. Second floor of the main building, on the west side. Father is in a meeting with your companion I believe, but I can keep him distracted afterward if needed,” Genji stood, and Jesse followed his lead. “Oh and Jesse? One more lesson.”

“What’s that?”

“Every Omega loves gifts,” the man winked before he turned and trotted off, Kiyo following behind.

Jesse waited a few minutes before he trotted off towards the main house, throwing Lord Shimada's rule to the wind. If Jesse was well and truly fucked, he would go out with some great memories.


	4. Chapter 4

Finding Hanzo wasn’t difficult, Jesse just followed his nose. He gripped the confidence of the Alpha tight, felt it coursing through his veins. He wanted nothing more than the beautiful Omega who smelled like Heaven and looked like an angel, the Omega who could kick his ass six ways to Sunday, the Omega who’s smile would haunt him every day for the rest of his life if he lived that long. Nothing else mattered, he reasoned.

He paused as he walked down the ornate hallway with lacquered wood floors and decorative frippery along the walls opposite the sliding paper doors. He knew which one had Hanzo behind it, there was no hiding the scent. He stepped closer and knocked at the wall beside the door.

“Come in,” he heard Hanzo sigh, sounding bored.

Jesse slid the door open and froze at the sight he was presented with.

The room itself was surprisingly sparse, with a dresser and a desk with a computer. The bed was a full-sized nest built into the floor, filled with cushions and blankets colored blue and gold. Hanzo lay in the middle of that nest, light from the window playing over him nicely. He was garbed in a simple blue Kimono, his long dark hair free of its usual tie and haloing his head. He held a phone in one hand, but had turned his eyes to look up at Jesse as if surprised.

“Jesse?” he moved to get up but the cowboy scrambled.

“Hold on, don’t…don’t move…” he swallowed down the sudden dryness in his throat and closed the door behind him before walking closer to the nest. His eyes roved over Hanzo’s body, gorgeous in every way, wanting to burn it into his mind forever.

The Omega seemed to fluster under the attention, cheeks darkening as he huffed out something in Japanese before addressing Jesse, “What is the American phrase? ‘Take a picture, it will last longer’?”

“Could I?” the words were blurted out before Jesse could stop himself.

The color on those pretty cheeks turned a shade darker, “Excuse me?”

“A picture. My phone…” he frowned and tried to compose a sentence, “You’re gorgeous, the most beautiful person I ever did see. Can I get a picture of you? Like this?”

Hanzo blinked and lowered the hand holding the phone, turning his eyes towards the window, “I… Make it quick.”

Jesse grabbed for the phone in his pocket, pulling open his camera and lining up the shot. The camera adjusted to the light and he snapped two quick pictures before he smiled bright, “I reckon a picture is never gonna be quite as nice as the real thing but…I suppose one day it’ll be all I have,” he realized the depth of what he was implying and quickly changed the subject, “I got the uh…present you sent me.”

“Is that why you didn’t leave your room yesterday?” Hanzo’s eyes turned to the Alpha, dark with playful sin.

He chuckled softly, “It is, actually.” He noticed the slightest shift, Hanzo moving closer to the edge of the nest and Jesse made a bold choice. He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his jacket before he invited himself into the nest, enjoying the delighted surprise that shined over Hanzo’s eyes. “I’ll have you know, that was damn cruel. Gonna give a man a heart attack if you do things like that, my poor dick can’t handle it.”

Hanzo was fast to recover, a wicked smile pulling at the corner of his lips, “Then how do you plan to handle me during Heat? I’ll be all over you for a lot longer than a day.”

“I figure I’ll die tryin’,” Jesse chuckled, reaching out to pull the Omega closer. He came easily, curling himself into Jesse’s body as their lips met for a brief kiss. The fury from the other day seemed entirely gone, which the cowboy admitted that he was glad for.

“I was hoping you would take the hint and come find me…” Hanzo admitted with a little indignant huff.

“I have to admit my head’s bein’ pulled so many directions beautiful. Your father wants me to wait, the Alpha inside of my wants to hold you down and fuck you dirty.”

Hanzo hummed softly against Jesse’s lips, “And what do _you_ want?”

It didn’t take any thought, “This,” he admitted, his hand sliding up the Omega’s thigh, hip, side, curled around his back and held him closer, “This right here.”

The lips against his own twitched in a gentle smile, pressing, molding against his own. He leaned in and swept his tongue over them, eager to taste, felt a spike of lust and joy when Hanzo opened to him, let him in. The taste was unlike anything he could think to describe, pure and beautiful. He rolled and held Hanzo under his bulk, feeling a thrill run up the Omega’s spine as it arched against him beautifully.

Hanzo let out a soft whine that went straight between Jesse’s legs, and he was already aware of the scent in the room shifting slowly. Spice, thick and heady, Jesse now knew that was Hanzo’s arousal, the scent of his slick. He wanted a taste, needed it like a parched man, felt a growl slip through his control and rumble in his chest.

Hanzo bucked up into him, ground his hips against Jesse as he spread his legs and framed the Alpha’s hips. The scent in the air got stronger, dizzying. “Hanzo,” Jesse panted desperately, “Fucking hell, you teased me with that damn shirt, will you let me have a taste? Let me make you feel good?”

“Yes!” the word spoken like a desperate cry, “Jesse I want you. Mount me, please…”

 _Oh…_ His cock throbbed in his pants, pressing against the front of his jeans painfully, making him shift in desperate need to accommodate the lack of space. “Lemme…lemme have a taste first. Gonna make you feel so good, I promise…” he murmured as he broke their kiss and slid down Hanzo’s body, kissing any exposed flesh he could find. His hands slid down and then up, pushing the fabric of the Kimono with them, exposing Hanzo’s legs and thighs.

Jesse was met with the sight of the Omega, _his Omega_ , laid out before him. He was without underwear, his slick already a puddle between his legs, thighs and groin glistening with it. He had heard stories about Omega anatomy, but hadn’t paid much attention during his old Health Class. Hanzo was straining, rock hard already, pre pearled at the tip of his cock. His balls seemed unusually small until Jesse saw the soft folds behind them, where the slick seemed to be coming from. _Oh…_

He certainly didn’t mind. Hanzo was beautiful no matter what.

“ _Jesse,_ ” the word a desperate plea from above him, pulling him from his admiration.

“Shh,” he quieted, pressing a kiss to the Omega’s inner thighs, “I’ve got you gorgeous.” Another kiss, he slid up and lapped up the first bit of pure slick, honey sweet, like a punch to the gut before he surged forward and lapped a long, wet trail up the man’s folds. Hanzo jerked and twitched, breath hitching, body tense. Pre slid down the length of his shaft. Jesse pressed in again, one hand coming around to take Hanzo’s length in hand, stroking it slowly as his mouth eagerly began to map out Hanzo’s lower anatomy.

His tongue dipped deep, lapping up slick straight from the source, slid lower and skated around the hole beneath that. Hanzo had clapped a hand over his own mouth, back arched as he tried to mask his wails, but he couldn’t hold back the full-body tremors.

He pressed deeper, working his jaw to get as far into Hanzo as he could manage, stroking faster, listening to each harmonic sound the Omega was trying to hide, each ragged breath that hitched when the pad of Jesse’s tongue got deeper than before or his thumb swirled over the throbbing tip in his hand.

Suddenly Hanzo’s body seized and tightened, the soft walls around Jesse’s tongue twitching in wild spasms as slick ran freely. He lapped up every drop, hungry for more as he licked and stroked the Omega through his climax. He didn’t stop though, he wanted to see how much his lover could handle. He heard uneven breaths, broken sobs, felt the way the man’s thighs flexed powerfully on either side of his head in restraint.

“J-Jesse… Jesse m-mount me, p-please…” Hanzo’s voice shook, trying to stay quiet.

“Shh,” the Alpha hummed softly, pressing kiss after kiss to those waiting lips below, pulled away enough to speak, “Not today Darlin,”  he said though it pained him to do so, “My honor is about the only thing I got goin’ for me.” He would wait for Hanzo’s heat, as promised, even if it killed him to do so.

The whine that filled the room made Jesse twitch, the Alpha in his chest snarling in rage at being forced to refuse, “Please…want it so bad…”

“I know you do Sweetness,” he consoled, kissing the inside of the man’s thigh before he moved back in and lapped up the slick that had been dripping down his body. “I want it, too…”

“I-If you’re not going to mount me, then s-stop…” Hanzo was breathless, still shivering.

Jesse did. With a pained feeling he pulled himself away from the Omega’s body and sat up, lifting a hand to wipe away the slick that had spilled over his jaw and licked that up as well. He watched Hanzo as he did, the man’s eyes closed, body still twitching. He looked close to tears.

“Darlin?” he asked, unsure what else he could do, “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Hanzo said quickly, shaking his head, “Not…not at all. Come here, kiss me.”

The Alpha smiled and crawled over the smaller, lowering himself into a deep, consuming kiss. Arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulled him down as Hanzo’s mouth demanded silently, biting Jesse’s lip, swiping a tongue deep before the Omega pulled away with a low sound, “You taste like me.”

“Best taste in the world,” Jesse smirked and kissed him again.

Those pretty pale cheeks flushed a gentle shade of red, “You only want me because I am going into heat…” The admission was sudden, Hanzo’s eyes shining with worry and guilt, “Were it my brother’s heat approaching, you would want him, you would be in his nest.”

“Hogwash,” Jesse scoffed sharply, leaning down to catch and hold the Omega’s beautiful honey-gold eyes, “I admit, I don’t know much about you. But I want to. Heat comin’ up or not, from the second I stepped into this castle, you’ve been the only thing on my mind. Your scent, your beauty, your strength, your smile, _God your smile_ , your laugh… You should know I’m gonna have to leave Japan with a broken heart.”

“My scent is only appealing-“

“Even if you want to run on the theory that your scent is only as strong as it is because of biology, then what about the rest huh? I get nothin’ from the scents of your dad ‘n brother. So let’s just enjoy this while we have it, ‘n stop askin’ questions we ain’t got answers to.”

Hanzo frowned, then sighed and nosed himself against Jesse’s scent spot on his neck, humming, “Surprisingly astute for a silly American,” the Omega huffed. He took another deep breath and Jesse could practically _see_ the pendulum swinging on the man’s emotions, “Hmm, I can scent the arousal on you…”

The Alpha let out a low, hopeful growl that shuddered through his body, “Sweetheart I knotted just off the scent from your little ‘gift.’ Didn’t even have to touch myself.”

The words seemed to please Hanzo, he could feel the man swelling with pride before suddenly they were flipped over, Hanzo pushed Jesse onto his back and lifted himself, swinging a leg around to straddle his hips. The Omega looked lordly and regal as he straightened his spine and sat high above Jesse, “I had hoped you would come find me… I wanted _you_ , not some shirt stained with your cum.”

“Fuck I know Sweetheart,” Jesse couldn’t help how his hands moved to Hanzo’s knees, lifted and slid his Kimono up as he felt along soft, silken skin. Hanzo’s pretty little cock was still hard, standing erect from where it was freed from the folds of the kimono. “I wanted to more than you know, but I can’t fuck you good ‘n proper if your dad hacks my balls off with a rusty butter knife.”

“So you fear him more than you want me?” came the sharp reply.

Jesse floundered for a moment, mouth opening and closing like a fish, “Well it’s a pretty close thing Darlin,” he pointed out, and watched the man above him scoff with pithy disappointment. “Don’ gimme that look, yer dad’s a—“ his words cut off when Hanzo lifted and rolled his hips, pressing directly down on the bulge of Jesse’s jeans, rocking lazily.

The cowboy was momentarily distracted again by the sight of Hanzo’s cock poking out of his kimono, a bead of pre at the tip. “Continue your thoughts,” the Omega said firmly, rocking his hips again, sending a sharp jolt of pleasure and want up the Alpha’s spine.

“F-Fuck, you wanna kill me don’t you – ah!” another roll of his hips and Jesse arched and bucked into the motion, “Y-Your dad’s a Yakuza b-boss, fuck… If he threatens to,” he grit his teeth when the man above him let his head fall back as he worked his hips, exposing the pale column of his throat while his hair fell to the side of his face like a veil. It took all two of Jesse’s semi-functioning brain cells to piece together the last of his thoughts, “He threatens to castrate me, I’m likely to b-believe him…”

“Do you really think I’d let him?” Hanzo asked, his voice low and thick like honey, “I’d at least convince him to wait until after my heat.”

The Alpha let out a slightly hysterical laugh, “Mighty kind o’ you.”

Jesse wanted, his Alpha _demanded_. His back arched up sharply, “All you have to do is undo the button,” Hanzo’s hands dragged blunt nails down Jesse’s chest, raising goosebumps wherever he felt fingers over  his thrice damned shirt before he lightened his touch, skirted down his belly to the catch of his jeans. “You want release,” the Omega continued, “I can feel it. Imagine how nice it’d feel to fill me to the brim, stretch me out wide and lock me on your knot. How nice would it feel when you cum in a warm, welcoming Omega?”

Jesse whined, bucking his hips up helplessly against the swell of Hanzo’s beautiful ass. He pulled at the loose sash holding Hanzo’s kimono together and pushed them both away, tossing them aside to leave his beautiful Omega naked over him. He let his eyes rove over the strong swell of muscles, the swirling tattoo down his left arm, and the dusky caramel nipples already raised to teasing points.

The cowboy scrambled to get his shirt off, popping three of the buttons clean off before throwing the rest of the shirt aside, sitting up to latch his lips around one of those soft areolas. He heard Hanzo give a surprised sound, the previously arrogant and teasing Omega pushing the pronounced mounds of his pecs into Jesse’s mouth. He moaned loud, slender fingers digging into Jesse’s scalp to hold him there as Hanzo rocked his hips down onto the straining cock.

“Come on Jesse, please. I _need_ you Jesse, need you _in me_. I _crave you_!”

That was it. Jesse snarled and dug his fingers into the soft, plush muscle of Hanzo’s thighs as he rocked up and came apart, spilling his seed in his pants while his knot swelled painfully in such a confined and unyielding space. His heaving breaths came out as growls, jaw clenched and muscles drawn tight as he kept spilling seed, his body anticipating the warmth of Hanzo’s body around his own.

Pain radiated from his crotch, unyielding and constant as he squirmed beneath Hanzo’s figure, dropping himself back into the nest while he kept bucking his hips lazily up against Hanzo, his body _trying_ to breed its Omega good and proper.

“How peculiar, I’ve never seen an Alpha go so against their nature,” Hanzo leaned down over Jesse’s body, poised with his hands on either side of the man’s head as he looked him in the eyes. Then he was gone, sliding down McCree’s body in a fluid movement, down between his legs where he unfastened the man’s jeans and pulled them open.

“Hanzo…” he panted, hips twitching as gentle, strong fingers reached under the waistband of his boxers and pulled Jesse’s cock free.

The Omega smirked proudly when a surge of Jesse’s cum drooled down his cock, and then the Omega leaned in to wrap his lips around the man’s tip, stroking him with a sure grip. McCree could do nothing but throw his head back and groan, forced to feel each suckling pull of Hanzo’s beautiful mouth milk more cum from his body. His head dipped in shallow bobs while his free hand wrapped around the fat knotted base and _squeezed_ , applying pressure like a tight Omega sheath.

Like _Hanzo’s_ tight sheath.

Jesse choked on air, hands fisting in the blankets of the nest as cum dribbled out of him in thick amounts, the Omega happily taking it into his mouth, making a visible display of swallowing. As Jesse lay there being milked by an overly assertive Omega, he heard Hanzo pull off with a pop, “How long does your knot usually last?” he asked as he wrung out another rope of seed.

Jesse whined, thrusting into the hand, “Keep that up? Not too long…” he laughed weakly, almost hysterically.

“Such a shame,” the Omega pouted, squeezing the knot until Jesse threw his head back, his yell strangled away to a helpless sound, more spend pulsing out weakly, “Hmm, but it’s so big. Much bigger than the toys I have to use.” His words were so disproportionately casual to the actions as those lips descended down to wrap around the Alpha’s tip again, sucking hard.

“Darlin, w-why…” Jesse begged, his breath punched out of his lungs.

“Because I have never gotten to see an Alpha so undone like this. Your sounds, your scent, your body, it’s so fascinating, and because I _want_ this,” Hanzo finally punctuated with a light huff.

“I know you do babe, but tormentin’ me ain’t fair…” the Alpha whined pathetically.

Hanzo sat up with a little derisive sound, huffing through his nose. Jesse took a moment to blink back the stars from his eyes, groaning as he felt the sticky mess dripping down his inner thigh. Jesse reached down and used his hands, pulling Hanzo up his hips until he got a better position, wrapping his hand around Hanzo’s cock, “Try to relax for me Darlin,” he hummed.

He watched as Hanzo huffed and tried to resist the strong surges of desire, but Jesse kept his hold consistent and firm. “I wanna treat you right,” Jesse pointed out, punctuating the strokes of his hand with swipes over the tip of the other’s cock, “Wanna make this good for you. All of it.” A few more hard strokes and Hanzo’s resolve broke, the Omega’s body tensing as  he spilled his seed in thin ropes over Jesse’s hand. The Alpha just grinned as he worked his Omega through it, then lifted his hand to lap it all up, noting the difference in taste, saltier, heavier.

“Hanzo, sweetheart…” he was met with an indignant stare, grumpy and upset, and far too adorable in the Alpha’s eyes, “I hear tomorrow there’s supposed to be a festival at the Market. How about I take you out to that, we can have fun for a few hours, just get to relax before your heat starts. I really do wanna spend time with you.”

The man raised a brow, “It’s close to my heat as it is, I am unsure of how wise it would be.”

“You’ll have me there to keep an eye and a nose out. Things start getting too _heated_ then we’ll head—ow!” he laughed when the Omega smacked the man’s knee with masked amusement in his eyes, “Aww c’mon Darlin, don’t get all _hot_ under the collar! Ow!” another strike and they were both laughing.

“C’mere…” Jesse reached out with one arm, tugging the Omega back to him, laid out over the Alpha’s chest before they rolled to the side tangled in one another. Recalling Genji’s words from earlier in the day, Jesse reached up with one hand and gently wrapped it around the back of Hanzo’s neck, kneading in light strokes. He was amazed to feel the tension and fight drain away from the smaller man’s body on a sigh, the scent growing easy and relaxed.

It was an oddly powerful feeling to know that he could calm this powerful, independent man with just the right touch. He felt as Hanzo shifted, leaning his head forward until he nosed along Jesse’s mating mark, scented at it briefly before he ran the pad of his tongue over the sensitive gland. The Alpha jumped in surprise, a sudden surge of desire and heat spiking, only to fade a moment later when Hanzo resettled.

Jesse was starting to drift off when Hanzo shifted, reaching and pawing around until he found and dragged a blanket over them both.

“Maybe I should head back to my room,” Jesse mumbled.

“No. You stay here.”

“Well alright then…”

He could only hope that he could have this for a little while longer. Regardless of how Lord Shimada reacted, regardless of how much Jesse was growing to adore Hanzo, he only knew that when he had to leave it was going to be the hardest thing he ever had to do. He knew that he was fucked…


	5. Chapter 5

Jesse had hoped to wake in the peaceful quiet of the morning, coming to with Hanzo still nestled in his arms, safe and comfortable. Instead he woke to an empty nest, clinging to a pillow, his dick hard in his pants and his right thigh caked with his seed from the previous night. He felt gross, though not at all unhappy. Sleepily he pawed around, not wanting to open his eyes and welcome the new day just yet, and found Hanzo’s pillow to pull to his nose.

After a quiet moment the sound of a drawer closing quietly made the Alpha groan softly, opening his eyes and lifting his head. It was still too early for the sun to be out, yet the pre-dawn light had given everything a faded gray cast. He could see Hanzo’s figure in the dark, walking on the balls of his feet as he pulled on a gi.

Jesse grumbled lightly, “Sun ain’ even up Sweetness, come to bed.”

Hanzo stilled for a few seconds, then Jesse heard the soft exhale of breath, “I have duties to attend before breakfast. Perhaps you should return to your room and wash…”

The implication sat uneasily in the Alpha’s chest, like he was some one-night-stand expected to sneak out in the middle of the night. However he quickly reminded himself that in reality, that’s what he was. Once Hanzo’s Heat was over—he shook his head and refused to think about those things so early. As he went to sit up, however, he found a slender form slipping to straddle his lap in an elegant move. Hanzo was there, smelling of fresh soap and hair damp from a shower, breath ghosting over Jesse’s lips before they pressed together firmly.

His arms slid around his Omega’s hips, holding him close. He felt the tip of Hanzo’s nose brush a light, ticklish trail over Jesse’s jaw to his earlobe, the slightest sound of a breath being taken before, “You will carry my scent on you. I have no fear of my father, nor should you,” he reached up and took Jesse’s face in a firm hold with both hands, forcing their gaze to hold to one another, “Meet me tonight at seven just outside of the main gates. Do not be late, Jesse McCree,” another firm press of lips to his was all the man got before Hanzo was gone.

The soft click of the Shoji door was the only sound punctuated by a long silence. Jesse sat without thinking until the first rays of light started to creep into the room. He sighed and pulled himself from Hanzo’s nest, and as he stood he felt the sharp pull of his dried cum cracking in his pants. He winced at the tacky feeling.

He picked his shirt up from the floor and found that several of the buttons were missing, leaving it hanging awkwardly as he settled down to pull his boots on before leaving.

The walk to his room was quiet. He spotted several servants scurrying about to get ready for the new day, but was otherwise uninterrupted. His mind was still on the previous night, the sight and scent of Hanzo nearly overwhelming. His shower was long and hot, and he came twice to the memory of his Omega.

It was such a dangerous thought. _His_ Omega. Hanzo wasn’t his – that was his inner Alpha talking, growling in his ear. Mentally he couldn’t shake the idea. He wanted nothing more in his life.

Since he had been young, Jesse McCree had felt like a wandering soul. His only love had been his Mama, but when he started getting tangled in Deadlock he broke away from her in his effort to protect her. Protect her from Deadlock’s influence and guns, protect her from seeing what her Pup had become. A twenty-something destined to wind up in jail or dead, who had never done anything productive for society.

Yet now…

His heart ached for an Omega he would never be good enough for. An Omega who, after his Heat, would wise up and see that the sum of Jesse’s parts were minimal. He would never want to keep Jesse around, never curl up with Jesse at night. And even if he did, Jesse didn’t see himself worth the man’s attention.

So he would make his time with Hanzo something they could hold onto with deep fondness. He would give his Omega good memories, make him remember and miss the American cowboy and keep away the disappointing reality of it all.

Those were the thoughts that swirled around his head in a lazy drone as he puffed idly on a cigar, letting the nicotine work through his system and keep him calm. The smell of smoke was potent and spicy enough to dull the memory of Hanzo’s scent and keep him relaxed as he leaned against the wall overlooking the Hanamura valley. The sun had come up, though the morning was still fresh and quiet.

“You know,” Genji’s appearance at the Alpha’s side was as startling as it had been before, “When I told you to go see Hanzo I didn’t mean for you to go and fuck him.”

Jesse turned his gaze sidelong to look over the Omega’s pretty face twisted in a shit-eating grin, “Your brother isn’t someone I’m keen on sayin’ no to. But no, I didn’t actually fuck ‘em.” He raised a brow and huffed as an afterthought, “Besides, you don’t seem too upset about it.”

“Of course not. Hanzo has been surprisingly docile this morning. I think the only thing keeping you from our father’s wrath is that Hanzo doesn’t have that freshly fucked scent,” Genji chuckled softly, leaning against the wall lazily, “But you look like you have a lot on your mind for a man who just spent the night with an Omega.”

Jesse hummed and took a long drag of his cigar, letting smoke out through his nose, “Well, if your dad can wait until after Hanzo’s heat, then he’s welcome to do as he pleases. But I wanna do right by Hanzo, he’s…somethin’ else.”

The younger Shimada seemed to sober somewhat, head canting slightly, “There’s an old saying in my family, Jesse McCree. My mother used to tell me when I was young, ‘Genji, don’t chase the sun. Enjoy the day while it lasts.’ I know feelings don’t work well with logic or common sense, but…”

“You think I don’t know? Hanzo seems to have it in his head that I only want him ‘cause of his heat, but the truth of the matter is more ‘n that. So you let me worry about me. For now you let me worry ‘bout Hanzo, I’ll take damn good care of him while I can,” he huffed a sigh through his nose and took another drag from his cigar.

Genji fell quiet for a while, turning to enjoy the view of the valley for several minutes until Jesse finished his smoke. Only then did the Omega speak up with a small grin, “You need to get out of your head, yeah? Come with me.”

Jesse raised a brow, “Don’ you have stuff to do?”

Genji just laughed.

 

* * *

 

 

Jesse got to explore Hanamura for the first time with Genji leading the way. The early morning air was refreshing as the streets came alive, stalls lining the roadways in preparation for the coming festival. The people were dressed in colorful garments, their displayed wares bright and cheerful. Flowers, stuffed animals, blankets, food, pastries, glassware, baubles… It was almost enchanting.

Laborers were setting up strings of lanterns that hung over the street, promising an intimate glow come nightfall. The Alpha felt his excitement swelling within his chest.

As they walked, Genji spoke, “The Festival differs from month to month, but this month is one of the Spring festivals. They promise to be bright and colorful, generally geared towards _lovers_ ,” he flashed Jesse a wink, “Oh, aren’t these pretty?” The youth broke his stride and moved towards one of the stalls, reaching out to brush his fingers over the pristine petal of a lily. The bloom was white with blue tips and a bright yellow stamen.

Genji grinned before he darted away again, leaving Jesse little time to process as he took chase and watched the Omega flit around the streets.

They enjoyed a cinnamon roll that was almost too sweet to finish while Genji spoke about where the best places to visit were. Jesse took mental notes of streets and vendors, trying to memorize so he didn’t look like a fool later.

It was around eleven when the Omega ducked into a shop for the first time, Jesse following once again.

The laugh that escaped him was not lost on Genji, the sight of an old-fashioned Arcade something that was so surprising in how expected it should have been. The screens showed awful graphics and flashy lights, displayed high scores and requests to ‘Play Again?’

Genji’s grin was infectious as he went to a machine and swiped a card, tokens spilling out into a waiting cup. He pushed it at Jesse before getting one for himself, “Come on,” he nudged the man, “I’ll even go easy on you.”

Jesse barked another laugh, “I’ll have you know that where I come from, I play a pretty mean Street Fighter.”

Twenty games later showed Jesse with not a single win. Not even close. But there was something about the Omega who kept teasing and prodding that left Jesse not caring. Banter between them was light, consisting of idle barbs and childish threats. Game after game went by, and Genji seemed just as happy to share the time as Jesse.

What felt like a blink later Jesse spotted the clock on the wall. Almost five pm.

The reality of the day came back to him all at once, and as if sensing it, Genji gave him a soft nudge with his elbow, “I promised to get you out of your head, didn’t I?” he asked with a little smile.

“That you did,” Jesse agreed with a nod, “Thanks for that.”

The Omega gave a shrug, “You make Hanzo happy. He hasn’t been _happy_ in a long time. I would give anything to keep it that way.”

“You’re a good brother, Genji,” Jesse smiled, “I’ll do my best.”

“We should return to the castle so you can get ready,” the smaller pointed out after a beat of quiet.

“You go on ahead, I wanna do somethin’ first…” the cowboy’s head was swimming with ideas. He glanced at the clock and only hoped he had enough time.

 

* * *

 

 

Seven-oh-five saw Jesse jogging outside of the castle gates, freshly dressed in a new blue button-up and jeans that cost him more than he wanted to think about. A wash and a shave had him feeling confident, though a glance around the empty space of the castle entryway had him questioning himself.

“You’re late, Cowboy,” the cocksure voice floated from behind.

Jesse spun around and felt himself stagger at the sight before him. Hanzo, beautiful Hanzo, garbed in a stunning _haori._ Rich sapphire satin inlaid with golden dragons set in a scene of silver storm clouds. His _hakama_ was the same blue, layered over with silk that flowed behind him like water as he stepped forward. When the Alpha raked his eyes up to the man’s face he found striking honey eyes framed in glittering blue eye shadow, topped with gold, and winged eyeliner that made his gaze even more predatory. Hanzo’s long raven hair was loosely braided and draped over his left shoulder, completing the appearance.

“Something wrong?” Hanzo pressed after a long minute of stunned silence.

“Wrong?” Jesse managed to sputter as the world crashed back around him, “Not in the least… You look like a dream Sweetness. But now I feel underdressed…” he looked down at himself and glanced back up, smiling shyly.

The Omega hummed a low sound as he approached, _zori_ clicking softly on the concrete. He licked his lips (painted, Jesse suddenly realized at the soft and perfect shade of pink) and smirked, “I like it. It makes you stand out.”

The Alpha felt something in his chest tighten, a thread being drawn tight until it hummed. “Can I get another picture?” he asked, reaching for his pocket.

“Of course. But only if I get one later,” he added and lifted his chin. Regality poured from Hanzo in low waves of confidence, making him even more appealing as Jesse snapped several pictures with his phone of the confident beauty who _somehow_ wanted his attention.

Once he put his phone away, Jesse reached a hand out, “Shall we?”

A deceptively delicate hand slid into his own accompanied by a coy smirk.

Stepping out into the festival streets, Jesse found even more people crowding around. A sudden surge of protective instinct had him breaking their hands apart so that he could wrap an arm around the Omega beside him, hand resting above the other’s waist. It kept Hanzo away from the scents that others carried, made Jesse feel secure that his mate was safe at his side. The little instincts that buzzed in his mind were hard to ignore, but when he felt the other’s weight lean into his body he relaxed and let that instinct guide him.

His earlier outing proved fruitful as he led them through the streets with confidence of where they were going. He let Hanzo’s eyes guide them to different vendors and stalls to look over the wares, watched what made the Omega scoff and what made his eyes light up with interest.

Hanzo, true to what Jesse had come to expect, was not easily impressed. Small trinkets or cheap baubles hardly held his interest. _Shiny_ seemed to draw his attention, but things of quality and fine craft were what kept it. And through their journey there were eyes on them. People who recognized Hanzo (and likewise _didn’t_ recognize the Alpha at his side) and tourists who praised Hanzo’s attire.

All the while Jesse tried to keep his eyes out for some gift that would impress his lover. Something that he could afford, he amended to himself as Hanzo openly admired a pink-diamond ring.

A glint of gold caught the corner of his eye, a stall just at the edge of the glow of paper lanterns.

With Hanzo still distracted, Jesse ghosted himself away as quietly as he could manage, towards the stall where he found arrays of satin ribbons of all length and color. The one that had caught the Alpha’s interest, however, was a rich gold with inlaid silver swirls patterned across the impossibly long length.

 _Gold for a dragon,_ Jesse thought to himself as he paid for the accessory and looped it over his fingers to tuck into his pocket.

Jesse caught the scent in the air as he turned. Heavy and spicy, unfamiliar. The scent of another Alpha had his hackles rising as he searched for Hanzo in the crowd, spotting his glittering gem almost immediately. Another male had sidled up to Hanzo and was holding the ring the Omega had been eyeing.

His lip curled back as he took long, determined strides back towards the jeweler, bodily pushing himself between Hanzo and the male who had swept in. His arm slid around his Omega’s shoulders and he forced a smile onto his face, “How about we get somethin’ to eat, Sweetness?”

Hanzo turned his gaze up to Jesse and searched his face for a moment, but another voice cut in before the other could reply, the tone sharp and in Japanese.

Jesse furrowed his brows, tugging Hanzo closer as he moved to steer them away.

A heavy hand dropped on Jesse’s shoulder and the voice behind him returned in sharply accented English, “Filthy mongrel,” the Alpha hissed, “You do not deserve to put your hands on him.”

The column of fire blazed back to life in Jesse’s chest. He seized onto it as he let out a low growl that had the nearby patrons turning to look, “You’d be smart to take _yer_ hand off _me_ , partner.”

“Jesse,” Hanzo murmured, though there was little concern in his voice, “I think he wanted to buy me that ring.”

The words stung at his pride, stoked the already roaring fire.

Jesse was reluctant to let go of Hanzo, but he faced the other Alpha with a snarl on his lips, teeth bared.

The man was older, perhaps mid-thirties, with short hair and a gaunt face. He was taller than average and oozed a natural Alpha aura with how he was able to look down his nose at Jesse despite being almost an inch shorter. He stood his ground regardless, noting the man’s impassive face.

“You know, a good Alpha would never leave an Omega alone like that,” the man pointed out, taking half a step closer to crowd into Jesse’s space, “But you are not a _good_ Alpha are you? Teeth bared like an animal, growling, are all Americans this backwards?”

Jesse didn’t need to reply. As the man opened his mouth to throw, assumedly, another insult, the taller balled up his fist and threw a swift sucker-punch. There was a satisfying pop under his knuckles from the Alpha’s nose.

The man staggered back to the sound of gasps and shock around them. Jesse flexed his fingers to ease away the sting from his blow, grinning wide, “Wanna run that by me again Bud? I didn’t quite catch that.”

The other Alpha clutched at his face, eyes narrowed to a glare as a bead of blood ran between his fingers.

“Sorry, can’t hear you,” Jesse pushed on, taking a step forward and crowding the other Alpha back.

He expected the blow that came, the snarl of rage and the fist to his gut. Jesse doubled over and snapped his hands up to grab the hand that struck him before it could retreat. The other Alpha’s free hand came around and landed a solid hit on Jesse’s jaw, knocking his head aside but he kept firm hold of the hand in his grip.

Jesse ignored the spike of pain blooming from his jaw, grit his teeth and surged forward. He could feel the other man’s free hand coming up to press to his chest, to try and redirect the energy of the attack but it was an old trick – and one Jesse knew well. He curled his shoulder in twisted his body and dislodged the hand, throwing his full weight down and sent them crashing to the ground.

The Alpha landed beneath him, slammed between the pavement and Jesse’s body. He adjusted and pressed his weight down on the man’s sternum, kept him from getting a full breath as he let out another loud growl. Pressed face to face, the two Alphas glowered at each other.

Jesse was aware of the words around him, people who were yelling at them, but too nervous to get between two Alphas fighting. It had been a similar situation at a bar some years ago, Jesse idly recalled. His rut just starting, the spice of another Alpha in the room making his skin feel too small for his body, making him feel aggressive and uneasy.

Then there was a hand on him. Not the kind he was expecting – rough and pulling him away, the hands of security ripping the two apart. Instead it was gentle and cool, fingers pressing to the side of his face and lightly pulling him to tear his gaze away from the man beneath him.

Hanzo held his eyes and moved his hand to frame Jesse’s face in his palm, “Enough,” he said firmly despite the smile on his lips, “Let him go.”

The fire in his chest fizzled away and left Jesse feeling almost too cold.

Hanzo stood up and stepped back, giving the pair room. Jesse scrambled to follow, ignoring the winded Alpha he’d had pinned. A glance around him showed a group of people watching nervously, no less than three security standing close enough that they looked ready to get involved.

The Omega reached out and looped his fingers around Jesse’s wrist, tugging him lightly, “I think we should leave,” he stated simply with a glance to the security.

Jesse was waiting for the trouble to come crashing down on his head. To be detained for starting trouble or for causing a fuss. Instead he was pulled away, letting Hanzo lead him through the throng of people and into the streets going back to the castle.

Each step was bringing attention back to the feel of the throbbing on his cheek, the reminder of getting hit, a smaller pain in his gut. It brought sense back to the static running through his mind and he finally voiced his thought, “They didn’t pull us apart?”

“I stopped them,” Hanzo pointed out calmly, “So that I could stop you.”

“Oh…” was the only word that came to mind. After a few moments of walking, Jesse found his words again, “Where are we going?”

“We should return to the castle, it’s getting late and I’m feeling…warm,” Hanzo glanced over his shoulder and even in the minimal light his eyes showed as dilated and wanting.

“ _Oh._ ” Jesse’s stomach did a flip.

He rushed forward the short distance separating them and bent down. Hanzo let out a startled yelp as Jesse looped one arm behind the Omega’s back, another behind his knees and swept him up into a fireman’s carry, grinning ear-to-ear at the look of indignation from his lover.

“I am capable of walking, you know,” Hanzo snipped pointedly.

Jesse shrugged, still grinning, “I know, but this is more fun. I know I make you weak in the knees an’ all.” He was rewarded with a smack to his shoulder, but the imperious expression began to fade away to a small smile. That alone was enough to seize the poor Alpha’s heart, and he doubled his pace back towards the castle grounds.

Hanzo wrapped his arms around Jesse’s shoulders and leaned his head in until he was nuzzling at the Alpha’s neck affectionately. Lips and tongue skated over sun-tanned skin, making the Alpha shiver as he walked, focusing on getting them back to the castle before he combusted into a puddle of lust.

When the Omega settled his attention to the sensitive mark on Jesse’s neck he nearly stumbled, leaning on a nearby wall for support, “Hanzo…” The warning had little effect as the other only redoubled his efforts, suckling on the mark and skimming his teeth over it lightly, a silent threat…or promise. He swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat, “Hanzo,” he tried again, “Darlin, we should get back. Kinda hard to focus.”

The Omega responded with a nip, teeth gently biting down but not breaking the skin. Jesse’s knees threatened to buckle. Hanzo pulled away from the mark with a wet little sound and blew over the spot, sending shivers down the Alpha’s spine and static through his brain. He wanted nothing more than for his Omega to bite him, claim him, mark him, but the words clogged in his throat.

When Hanzo finally pulled away he settled back and watched Jesse’s face, smirking, “You stopped.”

“Yer…tryin’ ta kill me,” the Alpha pointed out with a few tight breaths.

The other let out a soft chuckle and lifted his head to nose and nuzzle at the underside of Jesse’s chin, “No, I’m trying to _fuck_ you, but you keep resisting.”

Jesse swallowed hard and pushed off the wall. He practically jogged down the narrow side-streets back to the castle, keeping Hanzo held tight in his arms. The man was a solid weight, but comfortable. His arms started to protest by the time they reached the outer castle wall, and he carefully moved to lower the Omega back to his feet, letting him stand up properly.

“Before we go in,” Jesse started and reached for his back pocket, “Here…” He pulled out the golden hairband, holding it up for Hanzo to see in the minimal light, and smiled. “I couldn’t afford the pretty ring you wanted, but I hoped maybe this would be enough gold for you?”

The Omega’s eyes widened slightly and his hands came up to touch the satin with gentle reverence. Finally he smiled, and Jesse’s stomach did another flip, “I have dozens of rings,” Hanzo finally said, “Most of them custom. But this? There is only one of,” the hand tracing the edge of the sash slid up to Jesse’s fingers and took his hand, pulling it to nuzzle against Hanzo’s face.

Jesse used his free hand to take the other end of the band and gently looped it around the back of the Omega’s neck, tying it loosely so that the long excess draped over the front of his clothes.

The rest was a blur. Hanzo surged up and closed the distance between them, claiming a rough and needy kiss. Jesse wrapped his arms around the man and held him close, melting into the affection and kissing back. He traced his tongue over the soft, painted lips and dipped into the welcoming flavor of his Omega’s mouth. Hanzo arched eagerly against him, nearly crawling up onto Jesse’s body in silent demand.

He knew what Hanzo wanted, he could feel it. They both wanted it.

He reached up and threaded his fingers through the soft hair along the back of Hanzo’s scalp, fisted it and pulled the man’s head back at the same time he pushed forward and pinned the Omega to the wall behind them. Hanzo’s legs wrapped around Jesse’s hips, his back arched and pushed their chests together and that was it. What little resolve they had shattered.

Jesse ground their hips together in a silent promise, a low growl rumbling in his chest that vibrated through both of them. Hanzo responded with a soft whine, a sound that spiked a red hot iron of need through the Alpha that couldn’t be ignored.

That was when Jesse caught the scent. Sweeter, almost disgustingly so, heavy and cloying. It demanded his attention, stoked the Alpha’s fire back up in his chest and the scent was only getting _stronger._ It was the scent of an Omega in heat, undeniable and _demanding_ all of Jesse’s attention.

He broke their kiss reluctantly and dipped his head down, ran his lips over Hanzo’s jaw, down his neck and found the source of the scent, the unclaimed patch of flesh that was practically wet with whatever pheromones it was letting off. He latched on, let his tongue lap up the taste and felt a rush of endorphins so strong that he nearly lost what little sense he retained. Every nerve, every thought, screaming the same chant through his head.

_Bite. Claim. Mine._

Hanzo’s head had fallen to the side, lips parted as he let out little whining pleas that sounded every part like encouragement.

_Bite._

It would be so easy to clamp down, sink his teeth in and _claim_ his Omega. Nobody, not even Lord Shimada, could deny him then. The thought was gaining appeal as he lost himself more and more to the taste, the scent, and the instinctual rush pulsing like thunder in his ears.

He gave a little testing nip, felt Hanzo twitch and rock against him and heard the softest little, “Please,” fall from his lips.

Just as he resolved himself that whatever consequences were worth the plunge, just as he parted his teeth to bite, he became aware of hands grabbing him. Strong, aggressive, pulling him away. Two sets, one on either bicep, ripping him back. Another body got between him and Hanzo, arms taking the distressed Omega and increasing the distance between them.

He fought and struggled, snarling like a cornered animal as he thrashed. He didn’t feel in control of himself, rationality broken away from instinct and buried under a suffocating layer of need. His body burned too hot, his skin felt too tight. Hanzo’s scent had pushed him into a rut, but the realization was one made distantly, and without effect on his own body.

The hands holding him back struggled. He thrashed and twisted, sinking his teeth into something, someone.

Hanzo was being taken, pulled away with distressing cries. He tried to take chase but the hands holding him were persistent. He shoved, rammed one of his captors into a wall and grinned. Yet they still wouldn’t _let go_.

He braced himself, steadied for another attempt when a foot kicked the back of his knee, forcing it to buckle, forcing him down to kneel as his other knee was kicked shortly after. A foot on either calf kept him down, made him unable to stand as his mind ran wild.

A hand came near his mouth and as he tried to bite it, it grabbed at his jaw with an iron grip and forced it open. Something was shoved inside before his mouth was closed and held, and Jesse nearly choked on the quarter-sized sphere before he clamped down on it.

A rush of fluid burst in his mouth, his senses suddenly assailed with mint and a bitter, biting cold that was like water over the fire in his veins. It had him gagging, unable to spit out the foul liquid and forced to swallow it down. _Poison_ , some part of his brain warned. As he swallowed the coldness and overpowering mint went up into his sinuses and banished the last of Hanzo’s scent and taste.

Reality came crashing back shortly after, leaving Jesse panting and shivering against the world that was suddenly too cold.

“Let him go,” was the first thing he became aware of, a familiar voice.

He looked up as the hands and feet pulled away from him, eyes searching the face of Lord Shimada standing over him with an impassive face.

With his sense of smell and taste still numbed by whatever had been shoved in his mouth, Jesse felt blind and more than a little nervous, “What…” he scrambled for words, not bothering to stand yet, “What’s going on? Where’s Hanzo?”

“He was taken up to the nesting chamber, since his heat started. It would seem I waited too long,” the man reached a hand down and Jesse was flabbergasted when Lord Shimada helped him to his feet, “And it would seem, not surprisingly, to have pushed you into a rut. I gave you an old-fashioned tonic to clear your head of the scent, as you were liable to continue trying to harm my guards.”

“…oh…” not for the first time that night, Jesse was left with no words to explain his thoughts. His skin still felt tight and uneasy, his head still thrummed with a constant chant to claim. When he finally got the nerve to speak again he swallowed, “I need to go to him.”

“Not yet. Soon, perhaps. Come with me,” Lord Shimada turned and started to walk towards the main gates, and soon Jesse felt hands on his shoulders pushing him to follow.

“Perhaps? Hanzo’s in heat, let me go to him,” Jesse pleaded, scenting the air to try and pick up what he desperately needed.

Lord Shimada huffed, “You have not yet proven yourself worthy.”

Jesse growled, unflinching at the glare thrown his way, “I already fought off an Alpha tonight! Wasn’t that my way of proving myself?”

They were crossing the garden leading to the shrine. Lord Shimada paused and huffed a chuckle, “You thought that you were supposed to fight another Alpha for the honor of laying with a Shimada?” his tone was dubious, “Foolish. The Shimada do not make Alphas fight _for_ them…”

“Waddya mean?” the Alpha surged forward a few steps, muscles tense, “What’s this about?”

“The Alpha does not fight other Alphas. The Alpha fights with the one he intends to mate with,” the man stated clearly, glancing back before he ascended the steps leading into the temple.

The realization hit perhaps a beat too late before Jesse was chasing the man again, “What? You want me to fight _Hanzo_?”

Lord Shimada was walking to the center of the spacious room, Jesse hot on his heels, “No. Not now. Hanzo is incapable of fighting you now.”

“What then?” Jesse demanded, a snarl on his lips.

Lord Shimada turned to face the younger, his eyes dark and hardened.

“With Hanzo unable to fight, Jesse McCree, your opponent will be _me._ ”

 


	6. Chapter 6

For a long moment Jesse stood there stunned into silence as the weighty gaze of Lord Shimada pinned him down where he stood. Finally the Alpha found his voice and let out a huff, “With all due respect, I’ve seen your boys fight. I know what you lot are capable of, seems like a pretty one-sided deal here.”

The Lord barked a soft laugh, “Then it would seem that Hanzo was wrong about you. He’ll be disappointed.”

So that was it. Fight and lose, or walk away with his teeth still in his head.

“Can I ask you somethin?” Jesse pressed with a bold uncertainty.

“If you would rather talk than fight, I suppose,” Lord Shimada did not relax from his braced stance, still watching the Alpha with a dark promise in his eyes.

Jesse straightened his back and squared his shoulders, “I…want to stay in Hanzo’s life.”

Lord Shimada showed no surprise, “Hanzo still has responsibilities. Ones that he chose to uphold. He will be married soon enough, and that is something which will not be stopped. It was his choice, and your continued presence here would only serve to bring him more harm than good.”

“I think I’m his Bondmate. I’m…pretty damn convinced of it,” the Alpha pressed.

“Perhaps you are. My eldest has always been one unaffected and unyielding of the presence of others – until recently. That does not change facts. If you are his Bondmate, then you remaining at his side would only be a detriment.”

“What if he doesn’t want it? I mean, what if he doesn’t want to be married off and-“

“He doesn’t. But he made the choice himself. The same as I did not want it, but I still did as was _needed_ for the clan. And in doing so, I had Hanzo and Genji, and I would not take back any of my decisions. Do you pose a risk to my son’s future, Jesse McCree?” There was something in the man’s face, an unfathomable expression of guilt and regret and pain that the Alpha didn’t have the time to dwell on.

Did he? The Alpha thought back to having Hanzo in his arms, the taste of the man and the strong desire to leave his mark. To bite, to claim, to protect. He thought back to Hanzo fighting for him, territorial and aggressive, the sight of the Omega overtop him with lust and promise in his eyes. Hanzo was strong, beautiful, and smart.

Jesse was a grunt who never even got through High School. A man who probably wouldn’t live to see thirty.

“No,” he admitted, shoulders slumping as he sighed out his defeat.

“Will you fight?” came the next question, calm and prepared.

Jesse could only think about the man who was waiting for him. Expecting him. Did he know that Jesse would now have to fight his father? Did he know that the Alpha was about to lose him?

Instead of an answer he lunged forward, a full frontal charge with all of his own force. His instincts balked at the idea of attacking an Omega, his limbs wanted to seize up and force him to stop, but none of that was comparable to the rush of need to get to his own Omega. Besides…

There was no shock when the man before him moved with liquid grace. Jesse barely felt the hands that grabbed him just before he was flipped over the Omega’s shoulder and back and landed on the hardwood floor with a bodily thud. The flash of pain and jolt through his body was brief, and the Alpha rolled to his feet with a growl in his chest. The fire was beginning to burn again, the ice in his veins melting away as his sense of smell returned.

He took a deep breath of the room and was as equally comforted as he was unnerved to catch Hanzo’s scent, strong and needy as it was. He charged again, a bull desperate to hit its mark, and when he was grabbed once more he shifted and aimed his center of gravity down, swinging his legs out until both men crashed to the floor. There was a stunned sort of sound from the elder before he was back up on his feet in an instant. Jesse barely had his knees under him when a foot hit his chest and shoved him back down yet again, pinned briefly from the pressure of the heel on his sternum.

He grabbed for Lord Shimada’s ankle, intent to push up and back and reverse their positions only for another ram downwards to kick the rest of the air from Jesse’s lungs. With a strangled sound his fingers released as he tried to gasp in.

Lord Shimada stood over him, eyes bearing down the long line of a hawkish nose. Jesse could see where Hanzo got it from, and the thought sent a brief shudder of energy down his spine. When he finally caught his breath and inhaled a full gasp he was assaulted with scents that tried to overstimulate him. The foot pulled away from his chest.

“While admirable, you stand no chance with such brazen tactics,” the elder spoke as he paced evenly around Jesse while the Alpha struggled back to his hands and knees. “You come from nothing. You resort to instinct when tact fails you. Your ways are as brutish as the gang you are shackled to,” each point was far worse than any physical blow, lashing at the already negative thoughts clawing in Jesse’s mind.

He got up and lunged again, snarling.

The force of Lord Shimada’s backhand sent the Alpha staggering sideways seeing stars.

“This is _not_ why Hanzo chose you. It is not the strength of body or instinct, which any Alpha has naturally, that would draw a Shimada to anyone. It is not why I tolerated you in my home. Show me, Jesse McCree, what right do you have to lay with a dragon?” the words were sharp and harsh, golden eyes narrowed to cruel slits.

The column of fire blazed almost painfully in Jesse’s chest, demanding he put this Omega beneath him. No matter who it was, it needed to be shown its place.

He wouldn’t be barred from his mate. He snarled loud, “ _Like you have room to talk! You married for power, you’re marrying your son off for power, what **right** do you have to dangle this in front of me?”_ the Alpha voice got a spark of surprise in the elder’s eyes before it was replaced by outrage, “ _I may be a thug, but Hanzo wants me and you **will** let me through. You don’t know a damn thing-“_

Lord Shimada had evidently had enough. He crossed the distance between them with terrifying speed and a strong hand grabbed Jesse by the throat. The Alpha grabbed at the offending wrist but the will to fight fled from him swiftly when he saw the tendrils of glowing violet coiling around the Omega’s chest. An ominous power gripped Jesse and the Alpha within him went suddenly and disturbingly silent.

The face before him was fury and malice, lips pulled in a silent snarl as the coiling energy _growled_ with sudden force.

“You. Are. _Done._ Cowboy.”

A pause settled briefly before the Lord spoke up again, “I was foolish to think you anything but what your biology dictates. A fear-mongering buffoon driven by the desire to mate,” nails like claws dug into the skin along the column of Jesse’s throat and made the Alpha go tense as his air supply grew thinner, “And Hanzo too will realize he was a fool for putting his faith in you.”

Jesse didn’t fight as he was suddenly shoved aside, staggering down to his knees in stunned silence as the twisting mass of violet slowly began to curl back into the depths of the Lord’s body. He turned his back on Jesse and padded for the entrance, “You will be escorted from the property. Consider yourself lucky if I do not leave your body in a ditch.”

“ _Wait!_ ” the desperate, pleading whine escaped the younger before he could stop himself. He crawled forward, hands and knees, feeling what little shame he had crumbled to dust, “Please…”

To his surprise the Lord did pause.

“I don’t deserve him. I know it. But for some reason he wants me and I want to make him happy. For some reason he thinks I’m some cowboy who’s worth a damn, when in reality I’m just a Deadlock grunt destined for an early grave…” he took a breath, trying to gather himself, “Hanzo is counting on me to be there for him, but you’re demanding a fight I can’t win. Kill me if that’s what you want, leave me in that damn ditch, because that’s the only way I’m gonna stop.”

Two men dropped down from the higher levels, seemingly from the shadows, to stand at Jesse’s sides. They moved quickly, grabbed Jesse by his arms and hauled him to his feet. As they started to drag him towards the doors the Alpha struggled, dug his feet in and resisted.

“If that is your wish,” Lord Shimada sighed, “Then you will have it.”

Fear and disappointment washed through Jesse. He resisted, dug his feet in harder. He bared his teeth and struggled to break the hold of the hands on him, dragging him. No matter how he threw his weight, these guards did not falter. The closer they got to the doors the more he thrashed, but whatever Lord Shimada had done with the violet swirls of energy kept his Alpha instincts firmly tamped down.

Just before they reached the doors they turned abruptly, dragging Jesse into a side room and up a set of stairs. Panic and wariness roiled in his chest, and though he still resisted he found himself suspicious and curious. He scented the air, found Hanzo’s scent easily among everything else and noted that it was slowly getting stronger. Hope flickered in his chest and he pressed forward to chase the wonderful smell.

They climbed another set of stairs, Jesse half a step ahead of his captors. There was a short hall with a single door at the end where the scent was strongest. They released the Alpha who was too mollified to question. They didn’t follow as he closed the last steps between himself and the shoji door.

He could _smell_ Hanzo clearly, though there was silence on the other side of the door. He gently pushed it open and ventured inside, closing it quickly behind him.

The space was dark, lit by dim electric lanterns and muted with heavy blankets covering the walls and a carpet so thick that Jesse’s boots sunk down into it. The room had a table to the far end, a small space reminiscent of a kitchenette, a door for a bathroom slightly ajar…and a massive nest at its center. Much like Hanzo’s nest, this one was bedecked in freshly washed blankets and cushions.

With the door behind him closed the whole of the room seemed so quiet and safe compared to the chaotic world just one step behind him.

“Jesse?”

There was Hanzo, settled in the middle of the luxurious nest, looking as gorgeous as he did stunned.

Relief and joy washed through the Alpha as he stumbled across the space separating them and all but dove into the space, eagerly accepted as he felt Hanzo’s arms wrap around him. They collapsed into the mess of blankets and spent several long minutes nosing and scenting at each other, Jesse burying his face and nose into the silky soft hair while Hanzo nuzzled and lapped at the sensitive mating mark.

“You…fought my father,” Hanzo finally pointed out between light kisses along his favored patch of skin.

Jesse cleared his throat, “I think the better description would be that your dad kicked my ass,” he nuzzled deeper into the soft hair and made himself drunk on a deep inhale, feeling his body lighting up at the sensation of having his Omega safe and happy in his arms, “How the hell am I supposed to win when I was expected to fight you lot?”

Hanzo chuckled softly, the sound of his voice equally drunken, “The fight is the Shimada way of testing each other. It is not about who wins or loses, it is to see each other as equals. Alphas are normally unable to fight Omegas, they shy at the idea, back down or refuse. Likewise, Omegas don’t fight Alphas. It’s just something their biology vehemently refuses unless absolutely necessary. For a Shimada, choosing a partner is supposed to be beyond our biology.”

“Oh…” something in his chest squeezed too tight at those words, and he instead busied himself with continuing to nuzzle along Hanzo’s hair and face.

“Now off with your shoes, before you get dirt in the nest,” Hanzo huffed and gave the Alpha a definitive tap on the shoulder, “I will not sleep in a nest with dirt in it!”

Jesse smirked and let himself be pushed away, laughing at the impetuous face that Hanzo wore. He slowly sat up and went about kicking off his shoes, tossing them off to the side to worry about later. That was when he took note, “I’m surprised you’re still fully dressed.”

“My heat doesn’t make me into a complete idiot, at least…not so soon,” red touched the soft pale rounds of Hanzo’s cheeks. He settled back when Jesse returned to his embrace, content to lay in the nest with the bulk of the Alpha overtop him, an action that seemed to sate both of them for the time being. “I want to savor my moments of clarity while they last.”

“Well to be fair, you’ve spent the last several days practically beggin’ me to fuck you silly. I’m getting’ mixed signals,” the Alpha teased, lipping along the slope of an elegant jaw to one of Hanzo’s ears.

“Yes, and I still want that,” Hanzo huffed, “But…this is nice too. Last night was nice. Sex aside, I…like this.”

Jesse’s poor heart jumped erratically in his chest and he let out a low little sound of joy and contentment, “You’re gonna kill me Sweetness.”

Hanzo’s chuckle was low and heavy. Strong yet slender fingers buried into the mess of Jesse’s hair, rubbed along his scalp and lightly scratched with blunt nails that sent liquid contentment rippling through his body. It seemed so strange that despite Hanzo’s heat and Jesse’s rut, both of them were overjoyed just to touch and keep close. The room fell quiet, no words needed as Jesse settled down against the Omega’s chest, practically purring his pleasure while Hanzo’s scent lulled him into a dozing state.

Nothing else mattered. The outside world, the future, the people who would want to tear them apart. The room was their bubble of peace, scenting only of them and nothing of the pains that might come. The room was peace and safety, and Hanzo was love and joy and mate and _happy_.

The fingers in his hair slowed and went slowly slack. Part of Jesse’s brain registered that the other must have fallen asleep as he took in the deep, slow cadence of Hanzo’s breathing. Without much thought, he followed into a dreamless sleep that had him floating in a space of darkness.

Without a window in the room he was unsure of the time when he was pulled awake. Consciousness came to him slowly as he registered movement beneath him. The scents hit him next, thick and spicy, something he now knew as arousal that already had his cock stirring and a low rumble forming in his chest.

Hanzo stilled beneath him for a moment before he let out a huff that tapered off into a whine. Not desperate, as the Alpha expected, but _hungry_.

“Hanzo?” Jesse’s voice was heavy with the sleep slowly eroding away.

The fire was starting in his chest again, each beat of his heart stoking it into a burn that heated the blood in his veins and made his body feel anxious with pent-up energy. This wasn’t a violent fire though, as it had been during the previous days, but instead something pleasant and invigorating. He growled again, louder, deeper, and Hanzo _squirmed_ beneath him with another low whine.

“I feel hot…” came the reply at long last, Hanzo’s voice thin and wispy.

The instinct to care for his mate ( _his mate_ ) was present and natural. He pulled himself up onto his elbows,  eyes searching the figure beneath him in the low light. Hanzo’s cheeks were bright red, lips parted in a slow pant. Jesse reached up and pressed his palm to the man’s cheek, feeling the feverish skin.

The scent in the air was dizzying.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” he promised. He sat up slowly, surprised that he didn’t feel rushed or ravenous.

He pulled open the sash of Hanzo’s top, reached beneath the front folds and pushed it open. Hanzo pulled himself free, sitting up enough to shrug it from his shoulders and toss it aside. Jesse pushed the man back down, leaning in to wrap his lips around an already peaked nipple. He had seen Hanzo shirtless before, the first time they had met, but he finally got to appreciate the heavy mounds of muscled flesh and the toned, barely-there abs along his belly.

Hanzo writhed beneath him, pushing his chest up into Jesse’s hungry mouth. His teeth clamped down on the nipple between his lip and the Omega let out a cry that sent thrills down the Alpha’s spine.

Hands buried in his hair, nails digging in with more force than they had earlier, “Jesse please… Please, I need you.”

Jesse understood on a primal level, something beyond thought and logic that worked down into the marrow of his soul. It was more than just sex and breeding, it was more than intimacy. There was a deeply rooted pleasure in their closeness and in the trust that they gave one another.

He let his hands drag down and caught in Hanzo’s _hakama_ , pulled it down until the other was exposed and wriggling out of the fabric desperately. He didn’t notice the Omega reach for something, only felt the cool plastic of the tube pressed to his skin. He reached up to take it, blinking, then realized it was lube. After a moment his sluggish thoughts coalesced and he found himself asking, “Do I need a condom?”

Hanzo shook his head, “No, I am on birth control. I have been since I was sixteen.”

Jesse hummed and sat up, quickly stripping himself of his shirt and undoing his pants. He felt eyes watching his every move, burning his skin and nerves under the pressure of a man starved. When he pulled his cock free he heard Hanzo’s slow growl, the smaller squirming before he sat up, reaching out to take the Alpha’s length in a tight grip that made him squeak. Hanzo took back the tube of lube and opened it, squirting a generous amount into one hand before stroking Jesse’s cock with sure movements, just a hair too tight.

“D-Darlin…” the Alpha whined, hands coming out to latch onto a set of strong shoulders, the skin beneath his calloused fingers so wonderfully smooth by comparison.

It took some effort to push Hanzo onto his back again, his own hands coming down to finish shucking his pants aside, then used one hand to gather some of the lube before reaching down. Just as his fingers brushed up soft thighs, his hand was slapped away by the haughty Omega, “I want to feel the stretch, no fingers.”

“Hanzo, I’m a big boy and you’re…pretty small. I don’ wanna hurt you.”

“ _Jesse-_ “

“Just…two fingers, how’s that,” he really was concerned that the Omega might bight off more than he could handle, “We’re gonna have a few days of this, right? There’s no need to rush.”

Defiance lined the edges of Hanzo’s expression, but with an undignified huff he gave in and spread his legs a little wider. Jesse couldn’t help it that, in some secluded corner of his mind, he found this display cute. He reached his hand down and gently, carefully, rubbed the pads of his middle and index finger over slickened folds.

The fight ebbed away from Hanzo’s face, eyes closing. Jesse didn’t feel like testing the Omega’s patience by waiting any longer, instead pushing those fingers inside and groaning at the feel of the tight ring of muscle stretching around them. His cock jumped in excitement and he sank his fingers in deeper. To his joy, his partner gave a moan and pushed himself down, forcing the digits deeper while he let out a loud gasp.

“Easy Sweetness,” he mused, then, “Just like that…how’s it feel?”

The Omega was bucking down onto Jesse’s hand, trying to ride him desperately as slick dribbled down his palm and wrist in generous amounts. The smaller seemed unwilling to voice anything beyond a keening little moan, a sound that yanked at Jesse’s heart and instincts. The muscles around his fingers fluttered and squeezed, and he felt the desire to give in becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

When he did pull his fingers free after a few more seconds of work, the Omega’s eyes opened suddenly and turned down to Jesse with a glare, only for Hanzo to let out a sigh as he saw the Alpha adjusting.

He reached down and took the back of Hanzo’s knees in hand, leaning in and forward to pull them over his shoulders. “Gonna get you deep, Darlin. Gonna make you sing for me,” as he prattled he reached down and took himself in hand, lined himself up until the tip of his cock pressed to the waiting lips.

Hanzo’s mouth had already fallen open, eyes wide and glassy with unrestrained lust and want.

One push and the head pressed in and both of them groaned. Hanzo didn’t make a single sound of discomfort as the Alpha sheathed himself in one firm push, silently surprised he fit but certainly not complaining. The Omega’s back bowed as much as their position allowed as Jesse leaned forward, folding the smaller over and bucking just that slightest bit deeper.

Tight, wet, _clenching_ heat was making his head spin, his chest tight from lack of oxygen until he reminded himself to breathe. It was too good to be true, too perfect. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, paralyzed by pleasure and sensation, but finally the moment was shattered by a firm hand yanking on his hair.

“Move!” Hanzo demanded sharply, as breathless as Jesse.

He did. He pulled his hips back and snapped them forward roughly with a snarl and a growl, the effect of which had the Omega beneath him shivering and whining in response. It wasn’t an act of fear but a display of dominance and submission equally given and received. Hanzo, the normally aggressive and pushy Omega, allowing himself to be submissive for a rare moment in his life and Jesse, the normally relaxed and laid-back Alpha who was, for once, giving in to his aggressive dominance that roiled in his chest.

He thrust again, the force of which made a loud and lascivious slap that filled the space of the room.

The gentleness was gone as Jesse pushed forward suddenly, testing the flex and tension of Hanzo’s body as he held him down and let himself go. He wasn’t gentle as he rammed himself deep with each forceful thrust, burying himself to the hilt, making sure Hanzo could deep it against his deepest recesses, just at the edge of being too much for the smaller man’s body. He could feel it, could feel the edge, and it excited him.

He knew he wouldn’t last long, and it was only a short time before he felt his knot starting to swell, a tight pressure at the base of his cock like someone squeezing a little too hard. He reveled in the feel of the pull and stretch when it caught on the entrance of Hanzo’s body, pulled the opening tight and felt it reluctant to let go. It sent a thrill up his spine when it pulled loose and he shoved right back in, repeating and watching as much as listening to the high-pitched wails coming from beneath him.

Hanzo was panting, his breathing thin from the position, mouth working in a silent mantra that Jesse was only privy to the first few letters of. Something in Japanese he guessed, but didn’t give it much attention.

Finally the swell became too much. When he tried to pull out it was too tight and his partner let out a soft sound of discomfort. Jesse grunted and shoved in deeper, feeling himself rubbing and pushing against the deepest reaches as he felt the heat pooling in his belly and the excitement pulsing through his cock as he continued to swell.

A glance downward showed the proud arch of Hanzo’s cock dripping onto his chest. He grinned as he reached around, somewhat awkward, and took hold of it, stroking it quickly with slick sounds. When Hanzo came undone half a second later it was with a thin wail, tears peeking at the corners of his eyes to slide down his temples slowly as his body tensed and convulsed around the Alpha.

The feel of that tight sheath’s inconsistent spasm gripping his cock shoved Jesse over the edge so hard he feared that his soul was coming out of his dick. He yelled, loud and surprised, orgasm ripped from him as he spilled his seed into a waiting, willing body. That thought alone had him giving even more, his knot feeling fatter than it ever had, buried as deeply as he could manage to get it.

Stars formed at the edge of his  vision, but somewhere along the line he panicked as he realized that Hanzo had gone quiet.

He released the man’s legs and reached up, taking his face between his hands, “Hanzo?”

The man’s eyelids fluttered briefly, a contented sound bubbling from his chest and some of the worry abated. He would wait for the man to reawaken. He couldn’t move for a little while anyway, he reminded himself with a glance downward, shuddering at the feel of another rush of his seed.

He pulled a nearby blanket over and used the corner to gently wipe the stripes of white off of Hanzo’s chest and belly, smirking.

Hanzo stirred a moment later and Jesse let out a relieved sigh, leaning in to press his face against his partner’s, shamelessly nuzzling as an act of comfort to both of them.

They lay there for several minutes in mutual silence, affectionate and calm. Piece by piece, Jesse’s body relaxed and he laid himself carefully overtop the smaller, head dipping down until he was kissing and mouthing at the unclaimed mark. Despite the fact that he felt himself softening, each time he grazed his teeth or lips over the spot he felt Hanzo’s body clench wantonly around him.

“I wouldn’t mind, you know,” Hanzo’s voice was low and laced with some emotion that Jesse couldn’t pinpoint.

“I can’t…”

“I want to be yours,” was the simple reply.

It was the heat talking, and Jesse knew it. Instead of saying that he shook his head, “I shouldn’t.”

“Do you not want me?”

The Alpha let out a huff and bucked a little deeper into Hanzo, earning a soft moan in response, “That should tell you how much I want you.”

“You want me sexually.”

The Alpha groaned, kissed the spot under his lips, “I want all of you. Every part.”

“You are scared of my father,” Hanzo then deducted, “Well?”

“Darlin…”

“You are the Alpha I desire.”

“Hanzo, now isn’t the time to discuss this,” Jesse finally broke, his heart fragmented and brittle, “Can’t we just enjoy ourselves?”

“You feel it, don’t you?” the man was insistent, frowning some, “You scent it, you see it.”

The Alpha swallowed and nodded, “I do…”

“I do not want to lay with another Alpha. I will not accept them to my nest. I will not tolerate them inside of me. _You_ are my Alpha, Jesse McCree. My bondmate.” The honey eyes staring up at him had turned pleading and desperate, “ _Save me_ from those who would take me from you.”

Jesse whined and groaned. He buried his face in Hanzo’s hair and kissed his temple, pulling him close. During their conversation he had gone soft, and with a moan from both of them he pulled himself free with a wet sound.

Hanzo’s head had dipped down and pressed kisses to Jesse’s neck, to the mark they both wanted.

“Tell me no,” the Omega murmured against the man’s skin, grazing his teeth over the spot.

He almost said it, his mind at war. Yes, no, yes, _yes_.

The pain shot down his spine like a hot spike. Teeth dug into his skin mercilessly, his brain flaring white with a single thing screeching through every part of himself.

_Bite. Mark. **Mine**._

He bit down, clamping with desperate need as his world narrowed down to a pinhole of thoughts. His body seized up tight and thoughts ran, dreamlike and fleeting through his head.

A small house on a few acres of land with Hanzo safe inside. Beautiful, strong Hanzo who slept next to Jesse every night, who nosed and nuzzled, who was as sweet as he was bratty. Hanzo heavy with his seed, settled in Jesse’s lap as they both felt over the taught curve. Hanzo tending to a child, pressing a band-aid to a scraped knee – a child with long brown hair and honey-gold eyes.

Hanzo was home, love, and family.

Hanzo was wonderful.

But sadly, Hanzo wasn’t his.

When he came down from his intense adrenaline high, the roar of his heartbeat in his ears slowing down enough to allow for thought, he slowly unlocked the stiff joints of his body. With a groan, he slowly unlatched his teeth from the cushion he had bitten down on and lifted his head. He felt dizzy and despondent.

His eyes trailed down the soft expanse of Hanzo’s neck, tracing over the still bare mating mark with a sensation of disappointment that was mirrored in the Omega’s face.

“Hanzo,” he breathed, “A mating mark is something you can’t undo. After your heat, when we’re both sure you’re thinking completely clear, if you still want it then I’ll mark you and make you mine. I’ll steal you out of Japan, and we’ll figure things out alright? I promise you.”

The look of defeat on Hanzo’s face lightened marginally, but then his eyes trailed down to the bloody spot on Jesse’s neck. The mark that would be there forever.

Jesse just smiled and leaned down, pressing a kiss to Hanzo’s lips stained red with blood, “I promise you.”

Hanzo’s arms slowly came up and wrapped around Jesse’s shoulders, pulling him close for another, deeper kiss. He sighed, expression that of uncertainty, “I…”

“I know, Darlin,” Jesse answered simply, relaxing down, “Get some rest.”

It didn’t take much for Hanzo to fall asleep, the two of them tangled together in an inseparable mass. Jesse wasn’t far behind the Omega, fingers carding through silky smooth hair as he focused on the pleasant pulses coming from his shoulder.

He was marked.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have updated the tags in accordance with some of the things we'll be seeing from here on out. Please be sure to look those over before continuing.
> 
> Also! A huge shoutout to [Dicktrickle](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dicktrickle) for agreeing to help with the Beta-ing. We'll be knocking out the backlog of work I've been lazy about so make sure to give 'em a hug.

Jesse never thought that he would be in a position where his dick might actually fall off. Waking up to find Hanzo astride  him, already riding his cock, being woken by the feel of his knot swelling; it was something he was becoming accustomed to at an alarming rate. The sight of his beautiful Hanzo desperate and caught in the throes of passion and unbridled want was what he wanted to live for.

He didn’t know how many days had passed  since Hanzo’s heat had started. Without windows or a clock it was impossible to tell, only able to  guess  by how  much he had slept. Of course, he didn’t care.

He lay boneless in their nest, half-awake as Hanzo ground down on his cock, silently demanding more when Jesse just had nothing left to give. His knot was already coming down, his growling  stomach reminding him of his need for food. Bottles of water and the wrappers of devoured power-bars lay discarded around the outer edge of the nest, eaten mostly by  Hanzo.

“Darlin,” Jesse groaned as the Omega continued his insistent rutting, “Sweetness, the well’s dry. Gotta give a man time to recover…”

Hanzo just huffed his displeasure, “I want more… I am unsatisfied.”

The Alpha lowered his hands and slid his palms lazily up and down the soft expanse of Hanzo’s thighs, “Sadly there’s not much left to give down there right now. Lemme eat something, get an hour or two of rest, then I’ll be primed to give you more. Here, in the meantime…” he gently tapped at Hanzo’s knee and pulled him forward. It only took a few tugs before the Omega seemed to understand.

He got up on his hands and knees and turned himself around, and without giving much consideration, pushed his hips back. Jesse reached up and caught Hanzo’s rear in his hands, smirking. “Easy now,” he mused, getting a good grip and pulling the cheeks apart to let his eyes wander.

Hanzo’s pussy was wet, dribbling a sloppy mix of slick and Jesse’s cum. The inside of the Omega’s thighs were tacky, his hole puffy and looking well-abused. There had rarely been a moment where Hanzo was awake that he wasn’t trying to put something inside of himself.

But Jesse was more than happy to guide his mate back, settling his face between soft cheeks and got a yelp of surprise when he let his tongue wander over a tightly puckered hole. He knew the man was raw and slowly growing  less sensitive over time, taking longer and longer to get him off each time they mated. However Jesse wondered if testing unexplored territory might give his partner something he was lacking.

After a few lazy licks he felt Hanzo’s thighs shake under his hands, coupled with soft, hitched sounds of pleasure and want. His own cock was giving a valiant effort to join in the fun, though to little success. He dipped his hand down and slowly got two fingers wet with slick, using them to rub against the otherwise untouched entrance.

Bit by bit, the Omega lowered himself down slowly. Whimpers had formed in his chest, soft keening sounds that yanked at Jesse’s instincts. Hanzo was trying to present for him.

“You ever try anything back here?” Jesse finally asked, licking over the tight little star again.

Hanzo groaned, and gave a shaky nod, “O-Only w-with toys. The ones w-with vibrators felt good…”

Jesse chuckled and let a lazy hum run from his throat through his jaw, making Hanzo shiver again, “Once I get myself goin’ later I’ll give you a real treat. I’ll mark you deep, Darlin.” He punctuated his statement by pushing his tongue inside, feeling the walls stretch tight around him as Hanzo trembled through a slow, weak orgasm. Jesse could see the Omega’s physical stamina draining, unable to keep up with biological demands.

He pulled his mouth off and reached over, helping Hanzo  lay back in the nest again. The Omega let out another whine, eyes shining and desperate, “Jesse…”

“Shh,” the Alpha leaned in and nosed against his mate’s neck and jaw, “Relax. Rest now, a’right? Lemme get us some food ‘n water.”

The sound Hanzo made, a pleading keen, was so pained that Jesse almost couldn’t let go. He pulled himself away, feeling like his own heart was trying to pull out of his chest. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like when he had to leave. He shoved the thought away, down into a dark space that he refused to think about as he scrambled to the kitchenette to get them both food and water.

He returned to the nest and Hanzo crawled onto him, pinning him down under the Omega’s smaller weight before taking a bottle of water. Instead of drinking it, however, he leaned down and buried his face into Jesse’s neck, nose roving over the still raw mating mark he had left there. Jesse shuddered wildly, static racing up and down his spine whenever he was touched there. His mind screamed about wanting to mark Hanzo in return and claim him no matter what the consequences.

It was only through force of will and the logic of his higher brain that reminded him that the consequences would be on Hanzo, not himself. The Omega would have to deal with having Jesse ripped away from him, and he couldn’t bear that thought.

He had promised to take Hanzo away, but in reality he didn’t know how he could do that. If he even could do that.

Yet the idea of it made his heart soar. He held Hanzo tight as he warred with himself, letting them both relax for the few minutes of calm they had. Eventually Jesse made Hanzo eat and drink, following suit shortly after, only for the Omega to return to his position at the Alpha’s neck. His hand came up and rubbed at the back of Hanzo’s neck, the pad of his index finger brushing over the mark he couldn’t claim, feeling his mate shudder with each pass.

Jesse was thankful for whatever was in the power-bars, because less than an hour had passed before Hanzo pulled himself up with a whine and rubbed his weeping slit over Jesse’s abdomen. It had been enough time for the Alpha to get his body ready for at least one round.

He slowly pulled himself up as Hanzo moved to the center of the nest. Jesse still had yet to get used to the sight of Hanzo presenting for him, knees spread wide while his chest pressed down into the nest, giving the Alpha the most incredible view.

He knew how Hanzo wanted things. He was happy to obey and let his mate lead, so long as Hanzo was happy. Jesse wasted little time getting up on his knees and moving behind the Omega’s body, taking his cock in hand to line himself up with the man’s puffy entrance. He sank in with no resistance, Hanzo letting out a loud moan as he rocked himself back until Jesse was fully sheathed.

Hanzo’s moans became low and lazy as he rested his head on his arms, letting Jesse lean over his body and slowly fuck the pleased Omega. Neither were in a rush for completion, merely enjoying the slide of each other’s bodies.

“Jesse…” Hanzo panted, “You promised to mark me deep…”

The Alpha groaned, “That I did. But you gotta let me stretch you.”

The smaller let out a huff, “So long as you don’t pull out, I suppose.”

Jesse barked a laugh, “You’re a demanding lil shit.” He reached out awkwardly, pawing around the blankets until he found the lube that they hadn’t needed since their first time.

“You love it,” Hanzo countered easily, shoving his hips back and making Jesse’s breath stutter.

“Damn if I do, Sweetness.”

He slicked his fingers and leaned himself back. The awkward position made it difficult for  him to rub his fingers over the man’s entrance, causing  Hanzo to shiver and rock himself back more. “Relax for me, Darlin,” he encouraged before pressing his index finger in, listening to the sharp hiss of a sudden inhale.

Jesse was slow and mindful about opening his mate up, clumsily alternating between rocking his hips and his hand in tandem until Hanzo was moaning and breathless beneath him. Two, then three fingers worked the Omega open until the man was confident he wouldn’t hurt his mate. “You ready?”

“Jesse,” came the desperate pant.

He pulled out of the shivering body, Hanzo’s puffy lips spread wide open and seemingly craving more attention. He used his hand to once more line himself up and pressed his tip against the more resistant entrance. With a firm push, the head popped in and Hanzo keened loud and sharp beneath him. For a moment, he was concerned that he had hurt the man before he felt Hanzo trying to push back against him.

“Easy Darlin,” Jesse took Hanzo’s ass in both hands and tried to slow the Omega some, worried about hurting him.

“Jesse, please, feels good…” he panted desperately, “Alpha, I want  _ more _ .”

He controlled his pace, slowly letting himself push deeper. Hanzo was  _ tight _ , sending Jesse’s head spinning. He already felt his knot swelling, and forced himself to stop pushing in when he reached the start of the flared base.

“ _ More! _ ” Hanzo pleaded, panted, trying to push back, but Jesse held him firm.

“Don’t wanna hurt you,” he argued, voice tight as he struggled to keep himself from moving.

“You promised!”

Jesse groaned, letting his forehead press to the space between Hanzo’s shoulder blades. “Darlin…” he pushed in further, felt the knot slip in, felt the impossibly tight rim of his mate’s body around him. Hanzo let out a rather undignified squeal of pleasure as he rutted back helplessly, grinding himself on Jesse’s cock as the man started pulling out.

His rhythm was slow at first, each thrust making the Omega’s whole body twitch and shiver. Jesse slowed his pace and fucked his lover long and slow, chuckling as he watched Hanzo’s fingers claw into the blankets and cushions. The Omega rutted back desperately, his words lost  in Japanese. The Alpha could take a few guesses at what was being said each time he felt Hanzo trying to force his ass back onto his knot.

Finally Jesse leaned over, covering the Omega’s body with his own, properly mounting him as he rammed the knot in, enjoying the tight grip his lover imposed. He let himself give quick, shallow thrusts that stretched the man’s rim without pulling out completely, listening to the voice beneath him wail in a loud, broken keen. It was all over when the Alpha took hold of his lover’s cock and squeezed, rubbing it in fast strokes as his knot fully swelled, locked in place, and he finally came. Hanzo’s scream was one he would never forget as the Omega thrashed and came undone beneath Jesse.

Later, as Jesse stroked idly at a soft, pale thigh and listened to the sound of Hanzo’s haggard breathing, he stared at the unclaimed mark on his mate’s neck. The raw desire to bite and fulfill his selfish desire was almost overwhelming. When he closed his eyes he could see the near-haunting images again. A home with Hanzo, a few pups to call their own…a life worth having. He could just imagine his mate with a pup in his belly, crabby from hormones and even brattier than before. It was something he never knew he wanted, and now he longed for it so deeply that his chest ached heavily.

He sighed and nosed lightly against the mark, feeling Hanzo press back against him.

_ Do it… _

_ “Do you pose a threat to my son’s future?” _

_ Yes. _

_ He wants it. He needs you. Bonded. Bondmate. _

“Jesse,” Hanzo’s words were heavy from his doze, but it was the nails digging into the Alpha’s wrist that drew his attention. He blinked and looked over Hanzo’s face, eyes still closed and relaxed, “You’re thinking very loudly, my Alpha.”

_ My _ Alpha. The words pulled at him hard. He was  _ Hanzo’s  _ Alpha. Hanzo was  _ his _ Omega.

“Tell me,” the words were sharper, a demand, “Your mind should be peaceful and resting, I’m far from done with you.”

Jesse couldn’t help but give a soft laugh, shaking his head. He pressed a kiss to Hanzo’s neck, to the unclaimed mark, “I want to… S’like my heart’s tryin’ to crawl out of my chest.” Another kiss and he scraped his teeth over the spot, felt a growl pulling from his throat.

“You are my bondmate. We both feel it. Regardless of any physical mark, we belong to each other. You fear my father, and rightfully so. If you bite me I can make no promises that he will let you get away alive, no matter what I say or do,” slowly Hanzo rolled over and tucked himself against Jesse’s chest, strong fingers coming up to run a thumb over the mark on the Alpha’s neck. Each pass made him shiver as a pleasant sensation ran down his spine.

There was a long pause before Jesse let out a defeated sigh, “Your father said you chose to take on the arranged marriage.”

A long beat passed between them before Hanzo turned his eyes down, tracing over Jesse’s mark critically, “Yes. I was fifteen. I sat down with my father and he told me what it would entail. A loveless marriage, bearing children for that Alpha. My father did it, and when his ‘mate’ passed on, he said he had no more strength to look for another, even freed from his duties.”

“What happened, if I can ask? To your dad’s mate…”

Hanzo hummed softly, “My father killed him. Ran him through with a knife.” Gentle honey eyes turned up to Jesse’s, “He said that his mate felt that Genji was unfit. My father said that the idea that his mate could pose any danger to his pups was all he needed. As he told me,  _ the love of my children is more to me than anything in this world _ . But in reality, and what I did not know when I was young, was that it was Genji’s love he cared more about. It has become more apparent over the years. Genji wants little to do with the family, and my father makes no attempt to force him. Instead I am the one who must fulfill both my own and Genji’s responsibilities. He lets Genji take any Alpha to his nest, and I have been denied that right time and time again. You were the first.”

“Why me though?”

Hanzo huffed and smirked, “I told my father that he cannot play favorites forever. That I deserve to share at least one heat with someone I desire before I am married away.”

Jesse leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, “What do you want me to do?”

Hanzo’s eyes hardened briefly, “I love my brother dearly, but I have spent my life doing the work he has shirked. I can continue my work as a Shimada and have the mate that I desire. If my father wishes to be adamant about the purity of bloodlines, then Genji can be the one to marry.”

The Alpha thought briefly about Genji and everything the younger had done to help Jesse and Hanzo along. He felt like he would be betraying that. And yet…

“I am yours, Jesse McCree, if you want me.”

With that, the last vestige of Jesse’s will crumbled to ash. He rolled onto his back and pulled Hanzo atop him, reached up and pulled the Omega down, took a breath. The scent that filled his lungs was all he wanted in his life, the body settling over his own was all he needed.

He surged forward and bit down.

Blood coated his tongue, a thick taste so unlike any he had experienced before. He felt his mate twitch in his arms, gasping softly in Jesse’s ear before he leaned down and returned the gesture. Renewing the mark on the Alpha’s neck made both of them react, clinging tighter. Long minutes passed in the span of heavy breaths, tongues soothing over fresh wounds.

Something in Jesse’s chest released, a tight coil letting free and unwinding, letting him relax and breathe for the first time since he had set foot in Shimada castle. His head fell back at last and he found Hanzo’s lips with his own, the two sharing their distinct tastes that were becoming one. The Alpha was surprised by the lack of sexual need that came with their act, feeling only the distinct rush through his body that came with holding Hanzo close.

They kissed until they tired, wrapping themselves in soft blankets and warm skin, a sense of peace and calm flowing through them.

* * *

Jesse could tell that Hanzo was nearing the end of his heat. Their time became less about frantic sex and a need for breeding and more about touching, and scenting, and renewing the marks on one another. It became more about Hanzo’s smile and the words he spoke like precious secrets that nobody else could ever know.

“I’ve always wanted a pet… I think I would like cats. My father hates pets though,”Hanzo hummed as he chewed on another power-bar, licking his fingers clean.

“Genji had a pregnancy scare a few heats back. He was so terrified because he thought that a pup would ruin his life… I…I always thought that would be the only good thing about an arranged marriage. My father loves us dearly, and I quite like the idea of a little one to have as my own,” the Omega admitted some time later, lazing atop Jesse’s chest.

The Alpha, sated and finally calm, was beyond content to listen and hold his mate close. He no longer felt conflicted or anxious, gone was the pull in his chest, because each time he looked at his mate his heart swelled with pride. Hanzo was his  _ mate _ . 

And he would give everything to keep it that way.

* * *

 

Jesse knew the moment when Hanzo’s heat officially ended. Not by scent or some soulful sensation, but by how the Omega fussed with how ‘gross’ he felt. “Ugh, I am so sticky,” he had whined as he pulled free of Jesse’s arms, “Agh, and sore…” he trailed off into Japanese, words laced with irritation as he went to stand. The Alpha took the opportunity to stretch out in the nest as he watched his mate look himself over with disgust.

“Yer gorgeous, Sweetness,” he huffed as he rolled to the side.

“Quiet you, I am covered in cum and sweat and blood. I desperately need a shower,” he decided.

The pair had taken a few showers together during Hanzo’s heat, but they had been used more to cool off when the Omega got particularly needy. The washing had been light, and the time spent barely got them cleaner than when they started.

“Want me to join ya?” Jesse asked with a grin.

“No! I need to get clean, you brute. I don’t think I can handle having your dick in me again,” came the annoyed grouse. At Jesse’s light flinch the Omega frowned as if realizing his error, “At least, not while I am so sore.” The smile Jesse got had him relaxing back into the blankets.

He let out a huff, “A’right, a’right. Go get all pretty for me.”

Hanzo barked a laugh and let his gaze linger over his mate. When Jesse flexed his chest, the Omega rolled his eyes and turned, vanishing into the bathroom.

Jesse settled in to doze lazily as he listened to the sound of the shower starting. The heat had been amazing, but he had to admit to himself that he wasn’t sure how much marathon-sex he could handle before his heart or his dick gave out.

He was snoring lightly when the Shoji door silently slid open . The Alpha didn’t stand a chance when he was grabbed by strong hands, his yelp of surprise cut short by a palm over his mouth, fingers gripping hard to force his jaw closed. He thrashed and struggled against the hold, the three men having difficulty keeping him still and quiet..

The Alpha tried to bite at the hand on his mouth as he was dragged, kicking his feet out before they were grabbed, a swift punch to the jaw dazing him just long enough for him to be pulled out of the room. The door closed behind them, leaving the room quiet and empty…

Jesse kept up his struggles, but once his captors were no longer concerned about keeping him quiet they were able to tighten their hold on him. Panic flooded his system as adrenaline surged. He managed to headbutt one of the guards, threw another against the wall, snarled and snapped at their every move.

He didn’t pay attention to where they were going, the world  a blur to him the more he fought.

Finally he was thrown onto a tatami floor, jerking up onto his hands and knees and readying himself to stand before a foot hit his back and shoved him to the ground. The three guards held him down firmly, a foot on his lower back and a pair of knees on his shoulders. No matter how hard he struggled he couldn’t break their hold.

It took a great deal of willpower to stop struggling once he realized the futility. He glanced around the room in a sweeping motion, bared his teeth when he recognized the Cherrywood desk from their meetings with Deadlock. Shimada’s office.

“Let him go,” the gruff voice spoke, firmly, “He will look me in the eyes.”

The forces holding him down suddenly let up at Lord Shimada’s command. Jesse was fast to scramble to his feet, naked and defenseless, wearing only his mate’s mark on his skin. The steely eyes on him were unreadable, though the aura of fury and disappointment could not be ignored. Unable to do anything else, Jesse bared his teeth – he would not cow to this man.

Lord Shimada’s voice was disturbingly even as he spoke, “It would appear that I have made a grave error. I knew better than to put my faith in the hands of an Alpha, and yet I let myself be convinced otherwise. For that, Jesse McCree, I do not blame you.”

The Alpha blinked his surprise, feeling himself relax marginally.

That was his mistake. The strike across his face hit so hard and fast that Jesse registered hitting the ground before feeling the pain of the blow. Before he could gather enough wits to respond he was wheezing from a kick to his ribs, feeling a distinctive crack as he landed on his back, a bare foot coming down onto his exposed throat, holding him down forcefully. The Alpha struggled to breathe, clawing at the ankle over his throat only to have the foot push down harder.

It was only when the world started to fade at the edges, his muscles going lax before the force let up enough for him to gasp in a desperate breath.

“The Shimada’s mark on the skin of a disgusting vermin like you… Tell me now before I end your life, did you mark my son?” the mask was gone, the malice in the man’s voice making Jesse legitimately fearful.

His mind immediately snapped to Hanzo and the sight of the mark. He realized that the worry he felt was not for himself, but for whatever trouble his mate might face. He bared his teeth again, “Yeah,” his voice was a rasp from the way his throat felt sore and raw already, “An’ I’d-“

His throat was crushed again, words cut off sharply.

Lord Shimada knelt down slowly, keeping eye contact with the Alpha as he did, “I am going to kill you for your misdeeds. I am going to kill you like I should have done the day you arrived at this castle. But first I will make you regret coming here…”

The foot came off of his throat and was replaced with a hand. Jesse was pulled up by his throat and staggered to his feet, unsurprised by the fist that struck his face and sent him reeling, seeing stars. The Alpha reached up with one hand to grab the wrist of the hand still at his neck, trying to brace himself on something as his back hit the wall, head slamming too hard against it.

The world was spinning.

His wrist was grabbed and shoved against the wall, and Jesse had little time to parse the way Shimada hit his forearm with enough force that he felt the bone give as he shrieked. The Lord spun and hit Jesse again, fist to face, and once again sent the Alpha sprawling helplessly.

Jesse felt himself getting rolled onto his back again, tasted the blood pooling in his mouth and thought of the kiss he had shared with Hanzo.

He had no regrets.

When he forced his eyes open next, he saw Lord Shimada standing over him with a long silver knife in hand. He was going to die…

“Father stop!” a welcomed and familiar voice broke through the haze of fear and pain. Jesse turned his head enough to spot Hanzo being stopped by the guards who had dragged Jesse there, the Omega garbed in a simple blue robe and a panicked expression.

“You disobeyed my orders, Hanzo!” the elder snarled cruelly.

“I did, but do not kill him, I beg of you!” the Omega struggled and Jesse tried to find his voice, to ask Hanzo to stop before he was hurt in turn. He coughed on his blood and pitched to the side to spit out the mouthful of crimson. There were tears in Hanzo’s eyes…why did he have to cry?

Lord Shimada brought his heel down sharply over Jesse’s side, the feel of another rib snapping enough to drag a strangled yell out of the Alpha’s throat.

A shock of green entered the fray, Genji swooping in to aid his brother. Together the pair broke the hold of the guards and Hanzo rushed forward, grabbing his father’s wrist. Whatever he said was lost in Japanese, fresh tears sliding down his face.

_ Don’t cry _ , Jesse tried to say.

Their argument was heated and loud, but when Lord Shimada dared to raise his hand as if to strike Hanzo, Jesse felt a surge of adrenaline give him enough strength to push himself up and shove against the Omega with a weak snarl. He was unsurprised when he was rewarded with a kick to the face, hitting the ground once more.

Jesse faded out for a moment when he tried to catch himself on his broken arm. He collapsed down, defeated, wheezing for small gasps of air.

The arguing stopped.

The Alpha flinched away from the gentle fingers that touched his cheek, “Jesse...” the words spoken so softly.

He opened his eyes and found Hanzo’s face watching him with a mixed expression of relief and sadness. He shifted slowly, pulling himself behind the Alpha to let the man’s head rest in the Omega’s lap. Hanzo’s eyes searched his mate’s figure, taking stock of every injury he had sustained in such a short amount of time, “Oh Jesse…”

The man finally got his throat to work, voice broken and tight, “Don’ gimme that look. All the pain in the world is worth your smile.” The words were cheesy, an adaptation from an old book his Mama used to read him as a pup.

“Don’t say such foolish things,” the Omega snipped, lacking any real bite as he withheld a sniffle, “My father says…that he may yet let you live. He will return you to America under the rule that you cannot return. I would rather know you are alive and safe than…than dead.”

“I’m not gonna leave you,” Jesse rasped as firmly as he could manage.

“I don’t think you’re in a position to reject this,” Hanzo pointed out, his hand framing Jesse’s face to run a thumb over the bloody split on the man’s lip, “Do this for me. Go back to America and stay alive. My father cannot take our marks.”

“Han…” Jesse sighed.

“Make your choice, mongrel,” Lord Shimada’s voice broke through their moment with force, “Live in America or die in this room.”

Jesse looked back up to Hanzo once more, barely able to make out the hopeful shine in his eyes. Hope in Jesse that this wouldn’t be the end.

The Alpha sighed, “Alright…”

Resigned to his defeat, he worried this would be the last time he felt his mate’s hands on his skin...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this, we have officially reached the end of Part 1.
> 
> *rubs hands together and cackles*


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another special thanks to my ever patient, ever wonderful beta, [Dicktrickle](http://archiveofourown.org/users/dicktrickle)!

The long stretches of New Mexico desert were boring to a lot of people, miles and miles of open air and nothing but cracked dirt and sky. To Jesse McCree, this was a comfort. There was plenty of room to breathe, nothing around him for miles. It was perfect for long rides on his old-fashioned Harley, an old ’88 model that guzzled gas like nobody’s business, but he didn’t care one bit. He pushed the engine to its max, made her go as fast as she could, kicking up long trails of dust in her wake.

The rumble of the bike and the buzz from the vibration did wonders to clear his head. The only thing that came as close was alcohol, and only in large amounts that he would come to regret in the morning.

There was a small part of his mind that reminded him how dangerous these old-fashioned motorcycles were, especially without a helmet. One wrong move, one bad patch of dirt, and he would end up a broken mess in the middle of the desert with nobody to come looking for him but the buzzards. That same part of him was okay with that.

He was technically running an errand, taking the scenic route to Santa Fe. He didn’t care if the bosses were in a rush, they wouldn’t have given it to him if they were. It was probably a punishment, given that they knew how much Jesse didn’t want to go back to his old home town…

His heart ached at the thought, the sensation washed away by the growl of his bike.

He could see the edges of the city off in the distance like an old oil-painting, everything smudged and warped by the heat coming off the land. He lazily turned himself back to the asphalt of the freeway and finished the trek, feeling sweat pouring under his shirt and vest, the weight pulling it down the back of his neck.

There was a part of him that was thankful that Santa Fe hadn’t changed much since he was a pup. It was a place that valued its cultural heritage, and had only updated what was absolutely needed, unlike Albuquerque which had dove into the technology boom. Santa Fe had lost some population because of it, most wanting to modernize while only the loyal locals had stuck around, with their brick houses and gas cars. As a result, Jesse’s bike didn’t look too out of place.

He pulled into town covered in a layer of dust, feeling satisfied as he pulled into the gas station across from the  _ Speedy Zapatos _ diner. The cost for gas was over ten dollars a gallon, a steep price to pay for driving a gas-powered machine, but Jesse spent the money without much care.

As the bike filled up, he grabbed the wash-rag from a nearby soap bucket and gave his girl a quick cleaning to get the painted metal gleaming again. Once finished, he threw the rag back and went into the convenience store for a snack and a drink. He was supposed to meet his contact over an hour ago at the diner across the street, but he didn’t mind making the guy wait.

Coming out of the store sipping from a bottle of Coke, he frowned at the sight of an unfamiliar figure looking over his bike. He strode closer, straightening his back, “See somethin’ you like?” he asked sharply.

The man was huge, Latino, the same height as Jesse but built like a brick wall. He was all muscle and power, with an Alpha scent that  _ reeked _ something fierce. Jesse was immediately on alert when dark eyes turned on him and  _ glared _ . Any beta or lesser Alpha likely would have balked under the pressure, but Jesse was quick to steel himself and glare back, “I asked you a question.”

“You were supposed to meet me an hour ago  _ cabrón _ , now we’re gonna be late,” the Alpha snapped.

“Cry me a river, Grandpa,” Jesse returned sharply. According to Enrique, this man was supposed to be a new recruit. New recruits for Deadlock were normally between fifteen and twenty years old. The Alpha standing in front of him was easily thirty.

The man snarled sharply and took a step forward and Jesse was shocked at how fast his inner Alpha  _ cowered _ under the display, forcing him to stagger back and turn his eyes down. That had  _ never _ happened to him before. “That’s what I thought, pup. Now go park this thing so we can get moving. You’ve wasted enough time.”

Embarrassment welled in Jesse’s chest as he fought with himself to obey the command. Yet the fight drained out of him quicker than he was prepared for, his bluster breaking and his shoulders deflating as he heaved out a sigh. Without a word he packed his snack away and pulled himself onto the bike.

“Across the street, white truck. You have five minutes,” the Alpha growled and cuffed the back of Jesse’s head.

As the man walked away Jesse fought with an overwhelming wave of despair. It was far from a new occurrence, but feeling his own inner Alpha bend to someone else’s will was something he had never experienced. A part of him wanted to leave the man behind and go back out to the desert, but he knew the consequences would come back to him tenfold if he shirked his duties. He was lucky to be alive, after all.

He was intent in taking seven minutes to park his bike and meander across the street. Despite the well of anxiety and despondence in his chest, he could still  _ appear _ to be someone worth a damn.

The Alpha was leaning against the corner of a massive white Chevy, one of the older hover models. He scowled at Jesse before straightening, “Get in, pup.”

There it was again,  _ pup _ .

Jesse didn’t fight it this time. He pulled himself into the truck and closed the door, locking himself inside of the cabin of an unknown vehicle with a massive man that stank so heavily of Alpha pheromones that Jesse wanted to gag. They pulled out into traffic and the younger closed his eyes. It was another hour drive to get to the delivery point, another hour of  _ this _ .

Five minutes into their trip, the Alpha spoke up, “So, how’s an irritating little pup like you land an Omega mate?”

The words were like a fist to the gut, the question alone winding Jesse. For the first time since the display of aggression at the gas station, Jesse’s Alpha surged back to life as he growled and  _ snarled  _ into the space between them, “That’s for  _ me _ to know.” Thoughts sprang into his head faster than he could stop them, panic that this Alpha would ever lay eyes on what was his, the knowledge that he could never go back, memories surging up like a tidal wave of panic and pain. His fears were irrational, but his  _ need _ to protect someone that  he simply couldn’t was stronger than even this Alpha.

The Alpha appeared genuinely surprised, glancing over at his companion before he lifted his fingers from the steering wheel in a placating gesture, “Alright. I won’t ask. Geeze. You at least got a name?”

It took a minute for Jesse to regain enough composure to make sense of the question. He huffed, “I got one, sure.”

“Smart ass. We got an hour stuck in this car, and an hour back. The radio’s busted so unless you want to sit here in silence…”

Normally that would have been Jesse’s preferred option, yet even in the small span of quiet between them, thoughts of Hanzo bled into his heart. Though the physical wounds had mostly healed, the scar left from being ripped away from his mate was still fresh and raw, hurting so badly that Jesse caught himself in a  _ whine. _ He shook himself out of it quickly, glowering at the dark floor mat under his feet, “Jesse.”

The Alpha was quiet for a moment before he nodded, “Well Jesse, I’m Gabriel.” Another pause passed between them before Gabriel reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box of cigarettes, “Mind if I smoke?” he asked with one already between his lips.

“Not at all, might get rid of the stink. At least share,” Jesse held out his hand.

To his surprise, the Alpha barked a laugh, “Shit, I forget I’m pretty unusual to other Alphas.” He reached with his other hand to roll the windows down a few inches on both doors, the air filtering enough to lessen the strong scents in the small space. Once done, he tossed the carton of cigarettes towards Jesse, “You’re smelling my mate as much as me.”

That piqued Jesse’s interest, “Yer mate?”

The man chuckled and grinned,  _ pride _ rolling from him in slow, lazy waves, “Yeah. Jack. He’s an Alpha, like me. So for a lot of people, especially other Alphas, they have a hard time telling.”

Jesse frowned, envy burning deep in his chest. Instead he shook his head, “So you’re…mated to another Alpha? Doesn’t that make you…”

“Gay?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you telling me that it’s not okay to be gay?” Gabriel’s voice was flat.

“Well nah! I mean, that’s…you do you, right? I just. I’ve heard an’ seen a lot of stuff about Omegas mating with each other. And…Betas of the same gender get together all the time. I guess just hearin’ about a pair of gay Alphas is something that’s new to me.”

Gabriel hummed low and contemplative, “So Betas get just the one set of biological genders, male and female. Alphas and Omegas, we have our physiological genders, and our biological genders. Alphas get knots, Omegas get vaginas, regardless of their biological gender. Omegas are generally relaxed and accommodating, they hate fighting. Them getting mated doesn’t surprise most people, because their natural personalities usually click well. Alphas, on the other hand…”

Gabriel’s description of Omegas felt like exactly the opposite of everything Hanzo was. There was something empowering about that, to know that his mate was special and  _ different _ .

“Aggressive, dominant, usually confrontational. It takes a special chemistry for Alpha mates to work well, otherwise it usually ends up in bloodshed and hurt bodies more than hurt feelings. Even Jack and I have our problems.”

Curious, Jesse pressed the conversation, “So like, you two are always fighting for dominance?”

“Usually, yeah. Leads to great sex, but…sometimes it’s hard to know when to stop. But Jack is special. He’s willing to yield control now and then, and I do the same.” The thought of this Alpha yielding control, of letting himself be mounted, was something Jesse struggled to comprehend, and hid his confusion behind lighting his cigarette. Meanwhile, Gabriel continued, “Either way, it means that our scents are stronger. Alphas mated to Omegas get an undercurrent of Omega to their normal scent, like you got. Mine’s all Alpha.”

Jesse grunted and wrinkled his nose, reminded yet again, “I don’t smell many mated people so…”

“Yeah, it’s getting to be a rare thing anymore. Betas don’t mate like we do right? They got marriage, but no mating marks.”

Another grunt, “So where’s your mate? He get tangled up in Deadlock too?”

Gabriel huffed, “Nah. I keep Jack as far away from this shit as I can. I do what I gotta to keep money in the bank, put food on our table, but I also have to protect him. Which means you keep your mouth shut about him,  _ cabrón _ ,” there was a light threat to the words that made Jesse glance over.

“Don’t gotta worry about me, Guy. I don’t care who or what you fuck, and so long as you don’t mention my mate, I won’t mention yours.”

There was another long stretch of silence before Gabriel spoke up again, “That was a nice bike back there.”

“Yep.” Jesse had been content to leave the conversation there, but another swell of anxiety had him letting out a sigh of smoke through his nose, the nicotine barely making him feel any better, “She’s about all I got anymore. Probably spent too much on her, but she treats me nice and I do the same.”

There were questions left unasked in the air between them, and Jesse could  _ feel _ Gabriel’s curiosity pressing at him. When the man finally spoke, though, he was smart enough to keep it light, “It’s the little pleasures right? The things that keep us sane that have nothing to do with mates or work…”

“Amen,” Jesse admitted easily.

“Just…seems you’re a bit young for that,” Gabriel pressed and Jesse felt himself tensing slightly.

Silence again. Jesse chose to turn his eyes and watch the scenery outside roll by, long stretches of desert and highway barricades.

Minutes crawled by, but eventually the quiet became companionable as they worked through the carton of cigarettes. They were getting close to their destination when Jesse finally broke down and asked, “So, what’s Jack like?”

Gabriel got the biggest, dumbest smirk on his face, “Our friends call him a Golden Boy. White enough to put paper to shame and the biggest, bluest eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s got a good head for people, but sometimes that head can get stuck in the clouds. Gets him in trouble.”

“So how’d that all happen? You two, I mean.”

Gabriel huffed a chuckle, “I don’t think Jack really considered himself gay when we met. From what I know, he’d dated a couple of Betas before we met. Me? I knew I was doomed the day I presented. I’d fucked around with a few Alphas here and there, but it always ended in one of us getting hurt, neither of us wanting to stop. I scented Jack at a bar one night and knew I was a goner.”

“Bondmates?” the question slipped from Jesse’s mouth before he could stop it.

Gabriel cast another curious glance  Jesse’s way before grunting, “Yeah. I knew it, but he didn’t. Tried to deny it, deny  _ me. _ Drove us both crazy to be separated, we didn’t exchange numbers or anything. He left me at the bar that night, said some shitty things and ran. About two weeks later he tracked me down and we marked each other that night. Never looked back.” After a few beats of quiet, he pressed, “You?”

Jesse didn’t answer.

“I’m not askin’ anything about your mate, I’m just curious.”

Something in Jesse’s heart had torn, was hemorrhaging and he had to physically bite back another whine, “Yeah.”

A few minutes later Gabriel slowed and pulled off of the asphalt and into the desert, driving towards a car in the distance. Their conversation faded as they neared the dark van, the doors of it opening when their truck got close enough.

Gabriel parked the car and both of them stepped out. Jesse felt a knot of anxiety in his gut, and a brush of his hip reminded him that he hadn’t brought his gun. A glance to the side showed that Gabriel, however,  _ had  _ brought one.

The three Beta men that stood across from them were armed and looked irritated at having been made to wait. “You bring the money?” the tallest of the three asked with a sneer.

Jesse scoffed, he knew this song, “Boss a’ready paid you fucks. We’re just here for the pickup.”

The shortest man, pudgy and round, let out a snort, “Yer boss paid  _ our _ boss, ain’t nobody paid  _ us. _ ”

“That’s not our job,” Gabriel folded his arms and squared his stance, “Not our job to pay you.”

“Way I see it,” the tallest spoke up again, “It is. A thousand a piece and you get your delivery and your lives. Otherwise, we just tell our boss that you never showed up…”

The taller man’s hand went for his gun. Gabriel was fast to draw his, a shockingly massive hand-gun that gleamed deadly in the sunlight. The men before them had their hands down, ready to draw, and Jesse’s hand flew to his hip as he silently cursed himself.

Gabriel took a long breath through his nose and out of his mouth, “Alright. Let’s just calm down. I’ll pay…”

“Seems our offer just went off sale. Double the price.”

There was a distinctive click from behind them, a hammer being pulled back as a fourth man made himself known. Jesse glanced and saw the new man’s gun pressed to the back of Gabriel’s head.

“Put the gun down,  _ cabrón _ ,” the new man hissed, “Drop it.”

Gabriel did. The gun hit the ground with a heavy sound.

“Kid,” the tallest snapped, “Get his wallet for us, huh?”

Jesse glanced to Gabriel who gave the slightest nod, “Left pocket.”

It occurred to Jesse that these goons weren’t going to let him and Gabriel walk away alive. They were being toyed with.

He turned and moved to Gabriel’s front, reached into his pocket and looked up to see the Alpha staring down the men behind him. Jesse wondered if he’d figured it out yet. He felt the leather of the wallet and pulled it out, then turned and tossed it to the ground between the two groups.

The wallet hit the ground and flapped open to expose a picture on the digital frame. A light skinned man with blue eyes and blonde hair. Jesse’s heart ached heavily and he turned his eyes away. Hanzo’s face popped into his mind, his mate, the only important thing in the world…

He stepped back to Gabriel’s side and turned to watch the tall man step up, holstering his gun to bend down and grab for the wallet. It happened so fast, the blink of an eye…

Gabriel reached back suddenly and grabbed the arm of the gunman behind him, but the men to their front raised their guns again, ready to kill.

Hanzo and Jack… Jesse couldn’t pretend he knew Gabriel well, but the thought of the two mates who would be left behind was enough to push his mind to a desperate state. It was said people could do amazing things when pushed to the brink.

Jesse dropped and rolled as quickly as he could force himself to go, grabbing Gabriel’s fallen gun. Crouched onto his knees, gun raised, he felt like the world around him was moving slower than he was. His movement had drawn attention, the distraction all he needed.

The world narrowed down to points, pinpricks of consciousness that required no actual thought. One. Two. Three. The assailants vanished into shrouds of black like the rest of the world around him.

Then, suddenly, everything crashed back. The seconds of time lost in his panic slammed into his forethoughts all at once. The feel of the gun like molten iron in his hands, the crack of each gunshot like cannon fire in his skull, the brightness of the sun, the yells of surprise melting into the silence of death.

Hanzo and Jack. Two mates who would be left behind.

The gun in his hands fell as he clutched his head, the sudden migraine screeching in his ears and making his skull feel three sizes too small. Blood trickled down from his nose, ran lines down his lips and chin and the sound of the whining of the wind felt too loud.

Booming met his ears next, a crushing grip on his shoulders threatened to break his bones but there was nothing he could do but hope.

_ A house on a hill. A safe space that Jesse had built with his own two hands. Hanzo waited for him inside with a smile, wrapping his arms around the Alpha when he sensed the man’s pain. Jesse could rest his aching head on Hanzo’s chest, took a deep breath of that familiar scent before he felt something tugging at his sleeve. He looked down and saw her, the beautiful girl with brown hair and honey eyes, worried about her father. _

_ A house on a hill… _

_ A safe space… _

“Jesse!” The booming in his ears chimed like cannons again and made the Alpha jerk back. The world had faded again, but was slowly reforming. He snapped his head up and saw Gabriel in front of him, large frame blocking out the sunlight, hands on his shoulders, expression somewhere between panicked and stunned. “Kid, c’mon…”

The roars were dying down and leaving just the migraine in their wake.

“Hey, you with me?” Gabriel again, shaking Jesse slightly.

Jesse could do little more than whine, his jaw clenched hard and eyes wild.

“Hey, come on. We need to get out of here,” he shook Jesse gently, “Can you stand?” Gabriel was careful as he pulled Jesse up to his feet, the world pitching every which way as he was taken out of the heat and sun. He was barely aware of the truck door opening, of being pulled up and settled in the passenger seat, “I’m gonna get the shit, then we’ll get out of here alright?” he patted Jesse’s thigh firmly, “Hold tight  _ niño _ .”

The door closed, the boom loud enough to make Jesse flinch, and he was surrounded by silence. He tried to focus on his breathing, tried desperately to steady out the thundering beat of his heart. Each inhale brought Gabriel’s strong scent into his lungs, the scent of a powerful Alpha that he barely knew and yet, somehow, found comfort in it. In those silent moments it was far from overpowering, and instead gave the younger Alpha something to focus himself on.

He thought about the blonde man in the photo, Jack. He recalled Gabriel’s face when he talked about the man with pride and love. There was a pang of jealousy but also something oddly comforting. Gabriel seemed so oddly put together for a man tangled in a gang, someone Jesse would have never expected. He wondered what Jack was like, his voice, his figure... He and Gabriel were mated but were they married?

_ Anything _ to think about but the painful throbbing in his head or the way his heart felt torn apart in his chest. Memories of Hanzo tried to bleed through, reminding him of everything he missed and could never have. Things that Gabriel had with Jack. A mate, a life, a home…

He didn’t notice Gabriel get into the car until the door closed, the sound making Jesse twitch again. A strong, warm hand rested on his shoulder and the scent that filled the space was fresh and strong, “You alright  _ niño _ ?”

It took a moment but Jesse managed to shake his head in the negative, “H-Head’s killin’ me…”

“Well at least you can talk now. Here,” Gabriel moved to open the door to the glove-box and he rummaged around inside. When he nudged Jesse next he was holding out a water bottle and two red pills. “Take this, should help. Drink the water, all of it.” He pushed the items into Jesse’s hand and went to start the car, the sound of the engine roaring too loud.

They started moving and the world spun unpleasantly. Jesse pushed the pills into his mouth, uncapped the bottle and took a few swigs. When he lowered it Gabriel let out a growl, “All of it.”

The windows in the cabin were closed, the scent of  _ Alpha _ overwhelming and consuming. The command was one Jesse couldn’t bring himself to fight, so he obediently raised the bottle and worked on drinking it down. He admitted, once he lowered the empty bottle, that he felt a little better.

He wasn’t sure how long they had been driving before Gabriel spoke up again, “Talk to me.”

“’Bout what?” Jesse mumbled, leaning heavily against the passenger-side door, resting his head on the window.

“I had the situation under control,” Gabriel pointed out. He didn’t sound angry, but the steel in his voice had Jesse’s body running tense.

Jesse huffed weakly, “Didn’t look like it. They were gonna gun us down regardless…”

“You’re right, they were. But I wasn’t anticipating you to pull a stunt like that. You’re pretty quick on the draw,  _ vaquero _ . Unusually quick…”

“I panicked…” Jesse admitted weakly, “I didn’t want us to die.”

Gabriel hummed, “I haven’t seen shooting like that in a long time. You did alright. Just relax for now, kid.”

“You married?” the question slipped out before he could stop it, not that he really tried.

Gabriel gave a confused sound, “What?”

“To Jack… You two married?” Jesse didn’t look up, hadn’t opened his eyes since he had gotten into the car. Just the thought made his head throb.

“Oh…” Gabriel seemed to hesitate for a moment before he grunted, “Yeah… Seven years now. March eighteenth. I can’t wear the ring though, don’t want others trying to use him against me.”

Jesse swallowed, “Yeah, I get that.”

They fell into an easy silence and Jesse felt the desire to sleep pulling at him. He didn’t fight it, letting the world drift away to darkness.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **PLEASE NOTE:** Before anyone comments on the conversation between Gabriel and Jesse, they are talking about the physical, biological genders in this universe and **NOT** gender identities. I just want to put that out there before I get comments about the gender stuff, that this is to establish how the physical genders work in this AU. Thank you  <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Dicktrickle and BananaButtStuff for your help in editing :D YOU GUYS ARE A-MEI-ZING!
> 
> And of course, thank you to all of my readers. I don't think I say it enough, but honestly thank you *many kisses*

It was eleven pm on-the-dot when Gabriel’s phone buzzed in his pocket. There was no question about who it was calling at such a specific time each night. Luckily the Alpha had already been extracting himself from socializing with the rest of the late night stragglers of the Deadlock gang in preparation.

He had just left the diner when his phone went off, and he waited until he reached a far enough distance, where he was enough in the open and could spot any eavesdroppers. Only then did he finally pull his phone out on the fifth ring and accepted the call with a tap to the phone’s face, “Someone’s eager tonight.”

Jack Morrison let out a little indignant huff from the other end, “Maybe you’re not eager enough. We used to call each other anytime you had a spare second on a mission, now I’m restricted to once a day.”

Gabriel chuckled, “Put away your upset,  _ cariño _ . We’re both busy men. Besides, I don’t want any of these low-lives thinking anything about you. Those thoughts are for me, and me alone.”

His mate laughed on the other end, “And the legions of internet fans who seem obsessive about drawing and writing porn about me?” The reminder made Gabriel grumble under his breath, which earned another slow laugh, “Relax Gabriel. You’re my one and only, but damn if you aren’t easy to tease.”

The Alpha just let out a growl at that, disliking the nature of the teasing. He had always been quick to bristle, and Jack was the only one who could get away with it. “Anything to report on from your end?” Gabriel asked, eager to move away from their current topic.

“Nothing worth noting. How about you? Didn’t get held at gunpoint again did you?” Jack was quick to fire back.

The reminder had the Alpha glance sidelong, following the cliff’s edge towards where a lonely blue truck sat in the distance. It hadn’t taken much effort to figure out that Jesse McCree didn’t sleep in the same rooms as his fellow gang members, and had instead taken up residence outside, away from the cruelty of his comrades.

He turned his attention back over the cliff to the wide expanse of desert far below, “Nah. Played some five-fingers earlier though,” he chuckled.

“That’s barbaric.”

“And?” Gabriel laughed, the sound echoing against the canyon walls, “Not my fault you prefer painting your nails.”

Jack’s sound of incredulity made Gabriel chuckle again, “Well I’d rather paint my nails than risk losing a finger to thugs.”

“I have to blend in, you know that.”

His mate scoffed, “Oh please, like you need a reason to do something reckless and stupid? We’ve been together long enough to know you did that just because you could.” Gabriel heard the squeak of Jack’s chair as the man leaned back, “We’re due for our Ruts soon…”

Gabriel grunted softly, “Doc gave me pills for it. Besides, I don’t wanna risk putting the pup Alpha through a wall.”

His mate made a quizzical sound, “Oh yeah, the kid. Wasn’t he one of the ones that went to see the Shimadas?”

“Yeah, from what I can glean from the others. He got held behind for about a week and came back to America damn near in pieces. Apparently Shimada has a hatred for Alphas, and from the sounds of things, Deadlock bought their deal with the kid’s skin. Whatever had happened to him there left one hell of a scar though, kid’s skittish as shit now. Some of the guys told me he didn’t used to be like that. But if he was held by Shimada, there’s a chance he’ll have information for us.” Gabriel didn’t like the idea of using the pup for Overwatch’s end, especially when it was obvious he’d been through hell already, but duty had requirements.

Jack let out a little grunt, “Well, I trust you to do what’s best. Just remember, the carrot over the stick.”

“Might need a bit of both on this one. Hopefully I can get what I need out of him before we sweep up,” Gabriel rocked back on his heels and huffed, “Now then, have you even slept yet?”

His mate let out a guilty chuckle, “Hard to sleep when my bed’s empty.”

“Come on Jack, there’s a heating pillow for you and plenty of my clothes there. Just because I’m not around to drag you out of your office…”

The long-suffering sigh from Jack was born from a place of love and frustration, “I know, Gabe. But…”

“I know,  _ Cariño _ . Just, try to get some rest for me, alright? I’ll be gone a while longer, but I’ll see about getting some time to come see you,” the fluttering in his heart was offset by the ache that soon replaced it. He understood how hard it was to get sleep when his mate wasn’t present, when the scent wasn’t there to confirm, even in sleep, that Jack was alive and with him. “I should see about sleep myself,” he finally admitted.

Jack’s ability to pout over the phone was one Gabriel was more than fond of. Without his mate even having to make a sound he could feel it pressing on his needs, “Good night, Jack.”

His mate huffed, “Goodnight, Gabe.”

Gabriel ended the call and pocketed his phone, moving closer to the Cliffside overlooking the wide valley below. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, then pulled his phone back out as the screen lit up. He flipped through his contacts and, near the top, selected the number for  _ Adrien _ .

The call picked up nearly instantly, “Good evening, Commander,” Aries had a voice that was metallic and smooth, tone even and calm. The AI was meant to be as such.

Without a need for formalities, Gabriel dove right in, “Have we gotten any new information?”

There was only a brief pause, “My scans have found no relatable information to either the Deadlock weapon trades, nor the Shimada accounts. However, I did find logs of a call on the phone of one Janus Fernandez regarding a meeting to be held with Deadlock leader Amon Thatcher and an unnamed ‘Intelligence’ from the Los Muertos gang in Mexico. I have already dispatched a worm program to track and monitor the call, as it may have ties into a weapons trade deal.”

Gabriel nodded firmly, “Good job Aries. Keep me updated on any new findings.” He paused and hummed, “Are you sure there’s been nothing on Shimada? That deal has been awful quiet.”

“I assure you, Commander, that if I had any information I would share it with you immediately. Unfortunately, none of the Deadlock members in your current field seem to have any direct dealings with the Shimada trade routes.”

“That’s pretty weird, all things considered. Do a deep scan tomorrow for any blockers or pocket data fields. What about the kid’s phone, any activity?”

Aries managed a long-suffering sigh, “I will perform another scan as soon as I come in contact with available avenues. I will send you a log of all activity from Jesse McCree’s phone immediately,” Gabriel’s phone already buzzed as the data was patched through, “Will there be anything else, Commander?”

Left with nothing more to ask, the man grunted, “No, Aries. Good job.” He ended the call and opened the log file.

As always, it was small. A few short texts between Jesse and his boss about small jobs for the kid. No new call records. Application data usage for a game he frequently played. Internet usage for a movie website. Nothing out of the ordinary, but as always Gabriel was left with a sense of something distressing. Jesse was a prime young Alpha at a good age. He never socialized, he didn’t interact with anyone personally. He kept the world around him firmly locked out.

Gabriel had text files from the phones of other Deadlock members displaying messages and conversation from before his run-in with Shimada. The kid had seemed cocky, headstrong, and  _ happy _ . There had been no mention of another person, of a possible mate. The difference of personality and activity between before and after Japan was so stark and visible it couldn’t be ignored. Jesse had to know  _ something _ .

Attempts to use the text messages to trace the man’s old phone had come up short. Aries had been unable to access the old phone, and Jesse’s new phone had nothing from before.

Curious, Gabriel made his way towards Jesse’s truck. Through the window he could see the kid sleeping inside, head on a duffel bag, wearing his day-clothes down to his boots. There was a handgun resting on the floorboard in easy reach. The kid looked exhausted even in his sleep, with his eyebrows furrowed and stress lines etched on his forehead. 

Gabriel shook his head and finally turned to make his way back towards the diner. Perhaps tomorrow would bring something new…

* * *

Genji leaned lazily against the outer wall of the arcade, watching the street on both sides of himself. The day was quiet and calm, a lazy sort of warmth hanging in the air, clinging to his skin. He was still coming down from his Heat, relaxed from the ache in his muscles and the pulse between his legs. He loved his Heats.

Hanzo, not as much…

He frowned as he thought of his brother, not for the first time that day, and recalled how poorly his elder had been doing lately. Pain and anger clouded his normally peaceful scent, and it hurt to see Hanzo in so much agony.

Genji’s eyes turned sharply down the street as a new body turned, a familiar face. He perked up and tried to be patient as his friend drew near, and pulled him quickly into the arcade once he was close enough.

Kawama was a gentle Beta with a soft smile and a subtle voice, it was only a surprising thing when his size was taken into account, over six and a half feet. He truly was a gentle giant.

“Did you get it?” Genji asked as he looked to the cloth bag in Kawama’s hand.

“Yeah, did everything just like you asked. But, I mean, can’t you get a-“

“Shhh,” Genji was quick to quiet his friend, glancing around. He never knew who was listening, and he wasn’t going to be careless with something like  _ this _ . “I can’t really explain, but I promise you’ll be paid handsomely for this. And of course, a little extra” he smirked as pulled his friend down. They shared a lingering kiss – something familiar and relaxed. “Thank you for this, though. I really appreciate it.”

Kawama’s smile was bashful, his cheeks lighting up cherry red.

Genji took the bag from his friend and gave him a two-finger salute before he made his way to the bathroom. The small space was drab and gray, it stank faintly of urine, but most importantly it had no windows. Once inside he locked and bolted the door, checked the stalls and, in his paranoia, checked the vent as well. He wouldn’t put it past the Shimada clan to hide sensors or trackers to try and keep an eye on him.

Only when he was sure that he was well and truly alone did he set the bag on the counter and pull out the contents. A small phone box. He grinned, wiggled the top open and plucked out the brand new holo-phone inside. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic bag, opened it and fished out the small blue chip amongst the other pieces inside. Wrestling the back of the phone off exposed the battery, which was removed to get to the data chip beneath. He popped the old, blank chip out, and slid the new one in before carefully reassembling the pieces.

When he turned the phone on he found the device had already loaded the chip’s contents. It took him a few minutes to navigate the device with English settings, but he eventually found the photos and smiled at the sight. Several pictures of Hanzo, and below that, lots of pictures of food, a brown mare, and random pictures he didn’t bother looking through.

Next out of the plastic bag he pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number scrawled on it. He opened the text menu and punched the number into the send…

> [Jesse: I hope this is the right number. This is NeonNinja.]
> 
> The reply dinged through less than a minute later.
> 
> [SkullGirl: This guy has a lot of pictures of food…]
> 
> [Jesse: Right?]
> 
> [SkullGirl: neway, once your credits clear ill do the transfers]
> 
> [Jesse: And the security?]
> 
> [SkullGirl: already done]
> 
> [SkullGirl: am i sending the food 2?]
> 
> [Jesse: Just the first ten pictures should be fine.]
> 
> [SkullGirl: roger.]
> 
> [SkullGirl: transfers complete. I added a few extra features 4 added security since u gave me such a nice tip.]
> 
> [Jesse: I didn’t tip you…]
> 
> [SkullGirl: sure u did. SG signing out.]

Genji sighed and reached up to scratch the back of his head, but he couldn’t help but laugh. He just hoped this plan worked…

* * *

Hanzo sat with legs akimbo on the floor of the temple Dojo. The world around him was silent in a way that was near deafening, with no other sounds to distract his mind. This had once been a good thing. The perfect meditation space. Yet now it was a highlight of how lonely the world around him felt. When he was not with his teachers, he was alone. That was, perhaps, the hardest thing he had to manage.

He reached up and gently touched the mark on his neck, covered by makeup, and furrowed his brows. His heart ached in his chest.

_ “You let him mark you. You let a  _ **_mongrel_ ** _ mark you!” _

_ “He’s not a mongrel, he’s  _ **_my_ ** _ Alpha!” _

_ “Do you think he’s any different from the rest, Hanzo? You let your biology rule you. Bondmate means  _ **_nothing_ ** _ but attraction. He is a mongrel, and he is not strong enough to help conceive a dragon.” _

_ “Then let Genji be the one to marry! You wish to put everything on my shoulders, let me have this! Give me just this one allowance.” _

_ “No. You agreed to carry on the line. You will uphold the honor of your word. It took a lot of convincing, but Aikawa is still willing to go through with the marriage.” _

_ “I refuse it!” _

_ “The wedding will take place just before your next Heat. It was the only way to keep the deal.” _

_ “I said I refuse!” _

_ “You no longer have a choice, Hanzo.” _

_ “I never had a choice, Father.” _

It had been three months since he had last seen his mate, broken and battered. His Father had allowed Hanzo only a brief goodbye, just enough time to bind the man’s arm, to see to the bleeding on his head. Not enough time for a proper farewell. Not enough time to talk a delirious Jesse into a contingency plan.

For days afterwards he had holed himself up in the Nesting room, guarding over the remains of Jesse’s scent with desperate ferocity. He had believed his Father would be the one to come drag him away, he had been prepared. However it was on the fourth day that Genji had appeared and very carefully helped Hanzo collect what remained of Jesse’s things, squirreling them away in Hanzo’s room.

He had been, admittedly, very surprised by his brother’s behavior.

He had helped Hanzo move back to his own room, had held him for hours, slept beside him each night for over a week.

_ “It’s…part of the Nesting phase,” _ Genji had told Hanzo late one night while the elder tried to hold back another fit of tears,  _ “You haven’t really experienced it before because you didn’t have an Alpha partner for your Heats. But now your body is expecting a baby, so the Omega generally makes a nest with their Alpha to keep themselves relaxed. It helps ensure conception, I’m told. But it’s also a means of bonding for the Alpha and Omega. Mated or not, they were intimate and formed a bond of some kind. Your Alpha was taken away, your body and mind are stressed, and this is only making the whole situation worse… Father could have at least let Jesse stay for this.” _

Hanzo buried his nose into a pillow wrapped with Jesse’s shirt, taking a deep breath as he tried to form his thoughts,  _ “Do you Nest? You go into Heat more often than I do…” _

Genji chuckled and rubbed his brother’s back,  _ “Yes, I still Nest. Though my need to do so is not as prominent anymore, as I’ve gone through so many Heats compared to you. How long I Nest usually depends on my partner.” _

It didn’t take Hanzo long to decide that he didn’t like Nesting. The paranoia that clung to him was sharp and bitter and the constant need for contact was offensive to his sense of independence. He was just thankful for his brother’s understanding.

Hanzo pulled himself to his feet and paced the dojo idly, feeling antsy and pent-up now. Beneath the skin of his arms he felt the dragons roiling, their youthful energy charged by their Master’s unstable emotional state. Over and around his arm and shoulder, blue scales rippled, ridges like a shark’s fin cutting over smooth water. He reached up his right hand, touched over the spot where he saw the serpents scales bubbling beneath the flesh, and tried to calm them.

Yet another irritation ticked in his mind. While normally energetic and hard to manage, the twin spirit dragons, crawling beneath his flesh and coiled around his soul, were lulled into complete peace by Jesse McCree’s mere presence. It had not been until the end, until his Alpha was down and broken beneath his father’s foot that they had erupted with a rage that had yet to quell. He felt their energy colliding and warring with the spirit his father commanded, twisting and making him nearly sick with their fury.

It was not just Hanzo who had been denied his Mate. His dragons lamented and screamed their outrage.

Hanzo needed air. He fled the dojo briskly, the space of the temple suddenly feeling cramped and confining. He burst out into the gardens, taking a deep breath of air like a man starved for it, his arm shaking as the dragons continued to voice their discontent at their Master’s train of thought.

But he was able to breathe, that was all that was important in that moment.

The setting sun cast pink and orange tints over the sky, the air cooling down and filtered by a gentle breeze that shook the cherry blossoms.

He held a hand to his arm and clenched it firmly as he silently willed the spirits to calm. Much like their Master, they craved their mate. Hanzo had little ability to dwell on much else. Outside of his chores and lessons he had nothing. No friends save for Genji, no freedom to leave the Castle walls unescorted, and an internet connection that was heavily monitored.

Hanzo had never taken the time to see the bars of his cage before. He had never known anything else.

The dragons continued on. Hanzo slowly sank to his knees and tried his hardest to ride out the storm of anger and loss.

He didn’t know how long he had been there before he heard his brother’s voice. When he looked up he found the sky had dimmed to night, the first stars glinting above, and the lanterns around the castle grounds had flickered to life. He didn’t question the lapse, and instead chose to focus on the figure approaching him at a steady gait.

“Hanzo!” Genji spoke again as he neared, “Are you alright?” He got close enough that the elder could see the glint of concern in his brother’s expression.

Hanzo smiled, not wanting to upset the younger and shook his head, “The dragons are restless, that is all.”

Genji let out a low hum, not completely convinced but he let it go. Instead he moved to sit beside his elder and smiled. They moved to settle against one another on pure instinct, the sharing of scent and warmth were actions that had brought them both immeasurable comfort since they were boys. Hanzo rested his head on his sibling’s shoulder and felt the energy of a third dragon swell around him, curling close. It was light and playful, far gentler than Hanzo’s pair, and brought them to peace within a few minutes.

The span of quiet stretched for minutes, neither of them bothered and both of them at peace. It was Genji who spoke first, “Hanzo?”

The elder let out a soft hum.

“Shall we retire?” Genji shifted and wrapped his arm around Hanzo’s shoulders, holding him close.

Hanzo scoffed softly, “It’s barely sundown…”

“Yes but I have a surprise for you,” the younger promised, a smile lilting the tone of his voice.

Hanzo’s eyes slowly opened at that and he turned his head to look his brother over as best as he could. He didn’t  _ look _ like he had anything of note with him which raised suspicions, “Is this like the time you dyed all of my underwear pink?”

Genji’s laugh was loud and amused, “It might be. Or you might just have to trust me.”

The thought of having to replace his underwear again had Hanzo jumping to his feet, “Genji!” he huffed, “How many times have I told you to stop messing with my stuff! What did you touch this time?” He was already making his way towards the castle proper, listening to the sound of his brother half a step behind him, laughing.

The two burst into Hanzo’s room, the shoji door clacking loudly as he looked around the space. Nothing seemed immediately different save for the box in the middle of Hanzo’s nest. The elder let out a sigh and relaxed, smiling, “Genji, you didn’t have to lead me on like that.”

Genji laughed as he closed the door, “And miss the look on your face? No way. You’re too fun to mess with,  _ anija _ .”

Hanzo went to his nest and slipped into it, burrowing himself in blankets and warmth. Only when he was satisfied and surrounded in familiar comforts did he reach out and take the box, pulling it closer. Genji approached after a moment and lowered himself down before crawling in the nest behind his brother. He curled up behind Hanzo and cuddled up close so the pair could enjoy the gentle, affectionate touches.

Inside of the box were assorted chocolates drizzled with other types of chocolate. Hanzo quickly noted that they were American chocolates, the burst of sugar and  _ sweet _ bursting over his tongue made him smile. “Mmm,  _ arigatou _ . This is delicious.”

Genji smiled as he nudged his brother, “I know how to take care of my brother,” he mused as he reached out and plucked a piece from the box, one drizzled in white chocolate.

It was one of the worst kept secrets in the castle that Hanzo had a sweet tooth. Though he was regularly denied candy and chocolate ‘for the benefit of his own health,’ Genji and a few members of the Shimada staff helped sneak him pieces. He suspected that his Father knew, of course, but turned a blind eye. At least, part of him hoped as much.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Genji’s voice was pointed, pulling the elder from his thoughts.

“Ah. How about some TV?” Hanzo reached out and picked up the remote, turning the wall-TV on across from his nest. The room lit up in the glow as the two argued over a channel, and settled on an American cartoon when Genji tossed the remote out of reach of them both with a laugh.

“You’re so immature!” Hanzo huffed in agitation, throwing himself down on his body pillow.

“You can always go get it, you know,” the younger reminded with a smirk.

“But now I’m warm…”

“Then we watch this,” Genji chuckled and wrapped himself around Hanzo’s back, relaxing as they both let themselves be dragged into the bad dubbing and flashy animations.

It was nearly an hour later when Hanzo heard the chime of his phone. He and Genji had finished the chocolates and were resting in a proper sugar coma. The sound made him frown and check the time, almost nine-thirty. He rarely got messages from anyone, normally just from his Father or Genji. He reached out and picked up the device from the edge of his nest and pulled it close.

“Genji?” he huffed, “Why did you send me a message?” he asked as he unlocked his phone.

Genji didn’t answer, the younger slipping his phone into his pocket again as he hugged Hanzo closer to himself.

> [Genji: Check your pictures.]

The message made Hanzo frown, but his curiosity tugged at him. He flicked to the home screen and opened his pictures app. Where he normally had a small collection of photos of Genji (and one selfie that he would swear he never had), his phone now had a much larger collection loading in. “What is this?” he asked and still got no answer.

He opened the first picture and immediately felt as if he were being punched in the gut. It was a photo of  _ him _ , taken at a short distance. Yet he quickly recognized the scene and his outfit. The night of the Market Festival, his night with Jesse. He swiped to the next picture and found a similar one from earlier that evening. Another swipe revealed the picture of him in his nest.

Hanzo swallowed down the mounting anxiety in his chest, “G…Genji, what is this? How…”

Finally his sibling responded, hugging him tighter, “It’s ok Hanzo, breathe…”

Memories were flooding back to him, renewed despair shortly behind. These had been pictures that  _ Jesse _ had taken of him, before the Alpha’s phone had been destroyed. “I…” he struggled to find words to push past the tightness in his throat, “I don’t understand. I watched Father destroy his phone. He crushed it, every piece, I watched him!”

“Shh,” Genji soothed quickly as he pressed kisses to his brother’s hair, “You watched him destroy  _ a _ phone. When you and Father were arguing I went to go find Jesse’s things. I switched Jesse’s phone with my own.”

“Then why am I just seeing this  _ now _ ?” Hanzo demanded, cursing quietly when he felt the sting of tears pressing behind his eyes.

Another gentle kiss from Genji as he tried to placate his distressed sibling, “Father monitors our phones, you know that. I had to take measures to make sure he didn’t catch this. I had to keep it safe and hidden. But I got a friend who has helped me out. Your phone is safe now,” Genji reached his hand around and gently held the phone that was shaking in his brother’s hand. The screen had gone dark, and with a gentle press the younger turned the screen back on and unlocked it, then swiped again.

The next photo stole what little breath Hanzo still had and two fresh tears fell down his face. The picture depicted Jesse McCree against a desert backdrop with aviators and a leather jacket. The next was another selfie of the Alpha, this time angled down with a motorcycle in the frame below him. The third picture was obviously taken from another person, Jesse with a massive hamburger in his hands while he took a bite.

“He does love his food,” Genji chuckled.

The wet laugh that burst from Hanzo was a brittle thing as he turned to bury his face in his shoulder. He felt Genji squeeze him firmly, “Hanzo?”

“I miss him,” the man whimpered softly, “I miss him so much…”

He felt Genji’s hand moving against his own on the phone, and a gentle kiss was pressed to Hanzo’s open shoulder, “Hanzo…  _ Anija, _ look…just once more.”

It took a moment before Hanzo was able to pull his head up, not sure if he could handle another wave of painful memories staring him in the face. He blinked the tears from his eyes and then a few more times to clear his vision, swallowing as the phone came back into focus.

He stared blankly at the screen as he tried to register what he was seeing. It wasn’t another photo, but instead it was a contact page. He shifted and pulled the phone closer and suddenly the Kanji on the screen registered. It was Jesse. He was staring at Jesse’s phone number.

“Gen…Genji?”

“It’s his, brother. Father can’t track the call, he won’t see it,” he pointed to the top of the screen where Hanzo spotted the time displayed in the corner as incorrect, “It’s around six-thirty in the morning for him right now. I’m pretty sure that he has his phone near him.”

Hanzo’s mind was a jumbled mess of excitement and dread all at once. His Alpha was just a phonecall away, that voice was his to hear again, he could know for certain that Jesse was  _ safe.  _ Yet… Some dark part of him wondered if the man had already moved on. Hanzo had nightmares about Jesse finding someone else, forgetting about Hanzo.

He didn’t register his brother’s indignant sigh behind him, but he startled when the younger pressed the green call button at the bottom of the contact page.

“Genji!” he hissed as the screen flipped over to video-calling.

“Relax,  _ anija _ !”

Hanzo waited several long, breathless moments as the call chimed through. Each pulse of the idling dots made his anxiety build until he was fit to shatter.

When the call didn’t go through, Hanzo let out a little helpless whine.

Genji immediately hit the recall button.

“Genji,” he whined sharply, the negative thoughts already clogging his brain.

On the second ring the call finally went through, the video feed starting up as the blurry image bounced around and finally came to a stop and Hanzo stared at the ceiling of a dirty car. The voice that followed was groggy and heavy, “Callin’ me ‘fore eight, someone better be dead or dyin’.”

Jesse McCree’s voice was such a welcomed sound that Hanzo couldn’t help the wordless joy that escaped him. It took Jesse’s tired grumbling for the Omega to find his words, “J-Jesse!”

There was a long pause before the image on the screen shifted, “Tha fuck…”

“Jesse it’s…”

Suddenly the video feed went blurry as the world became a whirl of movement, a few loud curses and the clatter of the phone falling to the ground as the Alpha scrambled to pick it back up.

Then he was looking at Jesse’s face. His Alpha staring back at him with wide eyes full of shock. The man’s image was almost exactly how he recalled, but Hanzo took note of a few immediate differences. His hair was longer, his beard was unkempt and scraggly, and there were dark hollows under his eyes.

But it was still  _ Jesse _ .

“Hanzo…”   
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I can't thank Dicktrickle and Bananabuttstuff enough for being my editors and cheer team for this story. They deserve ALL the hugs and love.

Everything  _ ached _ . From head to toe, heart to soul, Jesse McCree ached in a dull throb that claimed every inch of his being. He had drank too much the night before and had picked a fight with Sanchez before that knowing he would get his ass kicked. The belt-latch dug into his side from where he lay on the seat of his truck, the space smelled musty and stale, his stomach snarled for food – reminding him that he hadn’t eaten the day before…

He slowly picked himself up, sat up and rubbed his hand over his face with a groan. When he pulled the sun visor down he stared at himself in the mirror, studied the man staring back at him and knew he barely recognized himself. He looked like shit – too skinny, his beard untrimmed and uneven, and his eyes sunken and tired looking.

With another groan, Jesse slumped back onto his duffel-bag pillow and dropped his head against the window behind him, supported by the passenger side door. His energy felt drained, sapped from his core to leave him a weary mess in his truck.

He wasn’t doing well.

He was doing even worse than when he had come back from Japan.

It was all  _ that Alpha’s _ fault. Jesse couldn’t explain why really, but ever since their adventure almost two weeks ago, Jesse’s depression had spiraled out of control. The one thing Jesse had been able to hold onto had been his pride as an Alpha, the knowledge that he was the only one around, that he was mated to a beautiful man. Yet now wherever he went he was assailed by the sight or scent of Gabriel, reminding him of how in a matter of seconds he had been pushed down the totem pole.

Save for the leaders, the rest of Deadlock didn’t know Gabriel was an Alpha. However everyone  _ did _ know Jesse was one. He endured their jokes and barbs, their resentful glares and hurtful comments. Some part of him wanted to out Gabriel as well, and yet he didn’t. What would be the point? It wouldn’t stop their remarks and would only serve to turn the older Alpha’s ire on him.

His sigh filled the otherwise silent space of the truck’s cabin.

It didn’t help that Gabriel always seemed to be watching Jesse. He didn’t miss how those dark eyes stared the younger man down whenever he was in view, watching and sizing  him up.

They had shared few words since their botched mission. Jesse hadn’t been trusted with any more missions of such caliber, and had been stuck with cleaning and stocking duties around the compound. It was demeaning work unfit for any Alpha, and he knew that was exactly why they had pinned the tasks on him.

With a loud groan, he summoned the energy needed to pull himself upright again and popped open the door of his truck. The sand crunched beneath his boots as he made his way towards the dingy diner where the glass doors creak as he opens them and walks inside. The space is quiet, but it’s far from empty. Where Jesse had claimed his truck to sleep in, several Deadlock slept in the booths of the diner regularly, while others were still passed out from the night before.

Jesse made his way behind the diner’s counter to where a small lineup of coffee machines sat idle. He went about filling and preparing each one for use, starting them up and leaning against the counter with a soft huff. The Alpha waited the ten minutes it took for the first cup to be ready, the one nice thing about his new job. He pulled a thermos out from under the counter and poured himself a fresh cup before exiting the diner as quietly as he had entered.

The Deadlock base was oddly quiet as he made his way forward, following the side of the winding road while he sipped from his thermos. Warmed from the inside, he took a deep breath of fresh morning air and felt some of the tension and unease drain from his shoulders.

He let himself into the mountainside door next, leading into the base’s warehouse. The cool morning air quickly evaporated to the smell of oil and metal, the overhead lights flickering lazily to life as he walked under them and the storage room slowly lit up.

Along the roadway path were smaller bungalows designed to be like offices. Jesse made his way into what was deemed the filing room and picked up the clipboard on the top of the desk. June always left him a to-do list from the night before, and as he looked down the hand-written list he figured that he would at least be kept busy that day.

First on the list was a pile of filing and sorting set out on the desk at the far back of the room laden with stained papers and disorganized folders, half of which had fallen onto the floor. With a sigh, the Alpha swallowed his pride and set about the secretary work.

Two hours and a papercut later, Jesse tossed aside the last of the inventory folders in the proper basket and picked up the clipboard once again.

The base was starting to come alive with the early workers like himself. He watched grunts running around outside in the main area hauling and lifting. Jesse knew that half of those boxes and storage containers were either drugs or weapons. He didn’t want to know what else was in them. He just dealt with storage containers and their numbers and locations.

The next item on his list was to look into a broken-down forklift.

He went back out into the warehouse and found his toolbox tucked into a corner behind the toolshed bungalow. He had learned quickly to stash his toolbox and tools away from the rest of the idiots or else everything would go missing or he would end up with twenty hand-wrenches and nothing else.

With his tools in hand, he found the forklift parked crooked in the docking bay and pulled the hood up. Deadlock had never been known for taking care of its machines (or its members), Jesse was just lucky that he had a basic grasp of mechanics to know how to check for the obvious problems.

With his torso bent to look into the state of the engine’s intake, he failed to notice the three sets of feet approaching. After a moment, as the Alpha confirmed the problem in the machine, a blast of noise had him jerking upright and slamming his head into the top of the hood.

He yanked back and craned his head to glare at the trio of young men laughing at his predicament. Jesse rubbed at the back of his head and growled his frustration, and one of the men quickly stopped laughing.

“What’s wrong Alpha? Gonna growl at us like a dog?” Another fit of snickers bubbled up from the man’s friends, “Come on, give us a bark like a good dog huh?”

It took great effort to tamp down the desire to growl at the trio more. Where once Alphas had been viewed as strong, dominant members of society, many Betas had since made them a laughing stock. Since having been outed after coming back from Japan, the slew of insults and mockery had been constant.

“Fuck off,” Jesse snapped, managing to keep his voice at a normal pitch, “Don’t you asshats have somethin’ you should be doin’ other than botherin’ me?”

“Nah,” another of the three piped up, “Boss told us to go play with the dog,” he reached down and pulled a green tennis ball out of his khaki pocket, “C’mon boy, sit and beg and I’ll throw it for you.”

Anger seethed up sharply in Jesse’s chest, a familiar fire trying to blaze its way into his actions. It was with a clenched jaw that he grabbed his wrench and went back to the forklift, determined that he could ignore the three before he did something he would regret.

The sharp blare of the horn had his ears ringing again, and when that failed to incite a reaction from the Alpha he felt himself grabbed by the back of his shirt and yanked away.

He could barely hear over the ringing still, but the words were still there, “Come on, Alpha, where’s all your bite? Did they neuter you back in Japan or something?”

The fire returned with a vengeance. Jesse spun around and snarled, grabbing at the man behind him. The feeling of a fist hitting him in the jaw dazed him momentarily, followed up by a loud clatter and the whole of his toolbox hitting his chest with enough force and weight to throw him to the ground with a wheeze.

“Bad dog!” one of the trio scolded.

Jesse stared up at them dazedly and watched as a shadow slunk up behind them.

Gabriel was an imposing figure, and a man that had quickly earned a level of fearful respect among the lower-end of the Deadlock grunts. He moved quickly, a thick arm winding around the neck of one of the three and yanking him back. Jesse took satisfaction in watching the color drain from their faces when they saw the man behind them, the one who had been flailing and thrashing in his grip going suddenly still.

“The only people who get a kick out of bullying others are jealous people who have nothing special for themselves. Now then. Unless you want that something special about yourself to be seeing how long you can survive with a rib piercing your lung, I’d suggest you dipshits get back to doing  _ actual _ work,” the voice was low and ominous, a promise instead of a threat. He let go of his captive and shoved him into his friends, all three of whom stumbled as they stared at the man wide-eyed and nervous.

After the three had run off, Jesse stared owlishly up at the Alpha who watched him with a stone-faced expression.

“Get up,” Gabriel gruffed.

It wasn’t a command, but Jesse still shifted and pushed the toolbox off of himself so that he could pull his feet back under him. As he stood he turned his eyes to the ground and glared at the spot in front of Gabriel’s feet, “I didn’t need your help for some class-D assholes,” he said through his wounded pride.

“No, you didn’t. Doesn’t change the fact that I felt the need to step in…”

There was a long pause hanging between them before Jesse scoffed, “Well, thanks I guess.” He turned and knelt down to start picking up scattered tools and shoved the box towards the forklift once more.

He could feel Gabriel’s gaze burning into his back as he returned to his work, felt his hackles raising, and only after he realized he couldn’t focus on what was in front of him did he snap, “Did you  _ need _ somethin’?”

Another pause followed by the sound of a sigh. Gabriel’s heavy boots thumped on the floor as he came closer, “You get a lot of shit around here,  _ vaquero _ .”

Jesse just grumbled and tried to make sense of the engine he was staring at, “Comes with bein’ what I am in a gang full of asshats.”

“What you are? An Alpha?” Gabriel hummed when he got no response, “Despite what the world says, there’s nothing wrong with being an Alpha. The world wants to make us obsolete, wants to make us feel bad or dehumanized for what we are, for a history we have no control over. Don’t let yourself get pushed around though.”

Jesse snorted loudly, “Easy for you to say, they don’t know you’re an Alpha.”

“I guess they don’t. Doesn’t change what I said.” Quiet again, filled by the distant sounds of the Deadlock working all around the compound, “By the way, it’s a blown head gasket.”

“Huh?”

“Given the heat and the fact that these things are leaking coolant because none of these shitlords know how to take care of a machine, I’m pretty positive this thing’s got a blown head gasket. Pretty tough to fix unless you know how.”

“Great,” Jesse sighed, knowing he would probably get flak for that as well.

A warm hand came to rest square on his back and suddenly Gabriel’s scent felt stronger and closer. Unlike before, the scent felt oddly comforting in its strength and presence and Jesse found himself pressing into the contact like he needed it.

“Come on pup, you need a break.”

“I still got work to do,” he tried to argue, though he felt no sense of commitment to his own words.

Gabriel just huffed softly, “I’ll help you finish it afterwards. C’mon.” The hand on Jesse’s back closed and tugged at the back of the man’s shirt, pulling him away from the engine block and its blown head gasket, and away from the warehouse.

They walked for several minutes, crossing back out into the warming desert air. Gabriel’s hand slipped off of Jesse’s back and was replaced by the hot press of the unyielding sun. The silence between them was finally comfortable and easy, without questions or tension weighing them down.

They walked well past the diner and into the shallows of the canyon down a narrow path. It wasn’t long before Jesse figured out where they were going.

The small makeshift shooting range was just empty cans and bottles set out along a wooden table with the cliff wall directly behind it. Once upon a time they had just shot at targets without care, until Alec got a bullet in the leg for being unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. After the severe scolding that came from that incident, they shot with the wall to catch the bullets. It left the brown-red stone marked with holes and cracks from use.

Gabriel made his way to the table and started pulling out bottles.

“What’d you do before?” Jesse suddenly blurted, the question forming out of nowhere. He quickly added, “Before Deadlock, I mean…”

The Alpha looked up and studied the younger carefully, debating whether or not he wanted to tell the truth. After a moment he grunted and shrugged, “Military. Eight years. Honorable discharge after some Bastion unit threw me into a brick wall.”

Jesse felt himself holding his breath. The Omnic war had quieted down in the recent years, but it was far from over. Gabriel finished setting up the table and was walking back when Jesse turned his eyes to the cliffside, “I thought about it a few times. Er, goin’ into the military.”

Gabriel hummed questioningly, “Yeah? Why don’t you?”

“You know, I mean especially you right? The military does nothing but try to fuck you over. They threw you out and you still seem like you’d be a good fighter. I’ve already got Deadlock ownin’ me,  I don’t want to just give my leash over to someone new.”

The elder gave a grunt, “I left because Jack asked me to. He kept worrying over me getting killed out on the field. After he yelled at me when I was in the Hospital, I put in for release. But…the military did a lot of good shit for me, pup. It gave me training, a purpose, an outlet for my energy, money in my bank account, a chance to  _ do _ something with my life. Deadlock might own you right now, but they can’t touch you if you join the forces.” He reached out and took Jesse’s shoulder, shook it lightly and gruffed, “Look at me  _ vaquero _ ,” and Jesse did, “the military can give you the  _ tools _ and the  _ training _ to do whatever you need to do in this world.”

Jesse swallowed hard as he looked at the resolve in Gabriel’s eyes. The truth of the man’s past was written there in the deep brown of his irises, but there was so much Jesse still didn’t know. “I…” his mind went to Hanzo and pain ricocheted through his chest, “I dunno.”

“Well, it’s not a decision to make on a snap. But if you have questions, come to me. Now come on, show me that aim of yours,” the conversation was quickly lifted and Gabriel reached and pulled a pistol from the holster on his hip.

When the gun was pushed into Jesse’s hand he tested the weight. It wasn’t like the cheap ones that Deadlock gave to their grunts, pieces of 3D-printed crap that fell apart after a few shots. It was heavy and  _ solid,  _ sleek black with stippling on the stock. He felt himself grinning as he clicked the safety and pulled back the hammer, and with a flourish he turned to the table.

The crack of the gun was satisfying and loud, the kick made the muscles in his arm burn to keep steady, and the first bottle shattered cleanly.

“She likes you,” Gabriel pointed out with a nod to the gun, “Not many can just pick her up and shoot as clean as that.”

Jesse felt himself grinning so hard it hurt, “Well, Mama did say I always had good aim and better luck.” He moved to shoot three more times, the first two hitting their targets dead-on, the third shot went wide and buried into the wall with a thud.

Gabriel chuckled, “You’re not used to her kick yet. But I bet with a bit of practice, you’d get even better.”

“She’s a real fancy piece,  _ Jefe _ . Honor to get to work with her,” he handed the gun back and Gabriel took her like she was as familiar as his mate.

“Wanna see a real trick, pup?”

“I doubt I wanna say no to that,” the excitement was growing in Jesse and he couldn’t explain why.

Gabriel took the gun and checked the clip, then squared his stance and lifted his arm out. His style was more rigid than Jesse’s, but there was no denying its strength as two bottles shattered. Before the younger could say anything, though, Gabriel had already ejected the empty clip from the stock and snapped a new one in and the next motion Jesse swore was something right out of a movie.

Pulling the gun closer to his chest, Gabriel lifted his palm over the hammer and in six rapid-fire shots, six bottles exploded from the table and left Jesse standing slack-jawed and amazed.

Jesse turned his gaze from the table up to Gabriel, then back, “Ho-lee  _ shit! _ ”

Gabriel’s laugh was easy and jovial, “It’s called a fan-the-hammer. It’s flashy on still targets, effective on large targets in close-range, but otherwise it’s just a cool trick.”

“ _ Teach me! _ ”

The elder scoffed lightly, “You need to learn proper shooting practices first. Your form’s shit, pup.”

Jesse lifted his chin and straightened his back, “If it’ll make me a better shot then I wanna learn!”

Once again Gabriel seemed torn as he looked Jesse up and down, like he wasn’t sure if the younger was worth the effort. Finally he sighed, “Fine. From the bottom up then, we’ll start with feet placement…”

The rest of the morning was lost to Jesse’s first proper shooting lesson. The sun was burning the back of his neck and his calves were screaming at how he had to hold the placement of his feet while Gabriel went over various stances for different needs. Without his usual relaxed style, it threw the younger’s aim off considerably.

Yet as the pair made their way back up the path to the compound, Jesse felt slightly lighter than he had before. There was a natural easiness that came with learning from the elder Alpha, and when there was mention of a ‘next lesson’ it got Jesse excited for more.

Suddenly, the rest of the day’s work didn’t feel so exhausting…

* * *

Dark, muddy visions haunted Jesse’s dreams most nights. Not the kind of nightmares that left a man jerking awake gasping for air, but the kind that made him uneasy and upset, trapped in a prolonged confusion as he tried to decipher what the reality actually was. It often left Jesse feeling defeated.

His nightmares were no different when the sound started. At first the shrill chirping wasn’t quite enough to pierce the heavy fog, but as its insistence grew the cowboy groaned and reached up to rub at his face. Consciousness returned to him slowly, not yet fully casting aside his confusion as he stared blearily up at the roof of his car and listened to the chime of his phone happily singing away.

He closed his eyes and opted to ignore it when he glanced over at the clock and squinted at the time. Six twenty-eight. The sun was barely up, the air still cool enough to be bearable. It wasn’t long before the call dropped and Jesse relaxed back to get another hour of sleep.

The chiming started right up again, though, and frustration suddenly won out as he grabbed for his phone and looked at the number requesting a video conference which simply read ‘Unknown.’

With a grumble he accepted the call and dropped his head back on his back, letting the phone rest on his chest so his caller got a view of his car’s roof, “Callin’ me ‘fore eight, someone better be dead or dyin’.”

From the other side of the line he heard some strange sound, a gasp and a choked sound. Jesse just huffed and grumbled for the other to spit it out when a voice calling his name came through, “J-Jesse!” His eyes shot open as the voice sparked something familiar and painful.

“Tha fuck…” he started to sit up.

“Jesse it’s…”

He scrambled to grab his phone at the same time he tried to bolt upright, his phone bouncing through his hands and seeming to run off as it fell between the door and his seat. He dove and grabbed for the phone, banging his head on the handle of the door with a curse as he snagged the phone and brought it up.

As he stared at the screen of his phone he was dumbstruck by the sight staring back at him with equal amazement.

“Hanzo…” the name left his lips like a prayer, the vision of his Omega settled in a nest of comforts, looking happy and  _ safe _ leaving him in disbelief.

“Jesse,” Hanzo’s face was pulled into the widest smile, pretty teeth flashing and lips looking so goddamn kissable that the cowboy wanted to crawl through the phone.

“Genji!” a new voice said as the Omega’s brother peeked over Hanzo’s shoulder and flashed the peace-sign into the camera, “Now that introductions are over…”

The three of them sat in silence for a few agonizing seconds before Jesse exhaled sharply, “But…how?”

“Worry about that later, Jesse,” Genji said as he patted Hanzo’s shoulder, “My brother has been a mess without you. I think this is the first time I’ve seen him smile since you left.”

Hanzo’s face flushed and he went to elbow at Genji sharply, “I…” he didn’t try to deny the words, “Genji switched your phone with his. I don’t know how he got your number though. But…you’re…”

Jesse felt his chest swell with heat and need, a possessive kind of instinct that he clung to as he drank in every feature of Hanzo’s face, “I am, Darlin. I’m right here. And there you are, God are you the most welcomed sight my eyes ever saw…”

Genji groaned and rolled his eyes, “I’ll let you two be gross together. By the way, Jesse, you now owe me American chocolate!” Then the youngest was gone, slipping out of the frame and Hanzo glanced up only briefly before looking back to the phone and Jesse couldn’t help the biggest, goofiest smile.

“Fuck… Sweetness I can hardly believe it’s you. My…my memory is a bit fuzzy from our last conversations…” He closed his eyes and tried to think back on the haze of murmurs when Hanzo was trying to talk to him. His concussion had made the whole world spin and hurt.

Hanzo hummed softly, “You weren’t quite lucid. I was worried about you, that Father might have hurt you worse than I thought. Jesse, I’m so sorry. He would have never done that had I not marked you, had I not begged you to mark me. He…”

“Hey now, easy,” Jesse sat up more comfortably and reached up to touch at the faded scar on his neck, feeling himself smile, “He could have literally skinned me alive and it would have been worth it for having gotten to spend that time with you. It’s the one thing your Father could never take away from me.”

Hanzo’s blush sent Jesse’s whole being into a static mess of joy. “Do not say such things, Jesse. He hurt you, badly. Are you…are you alright? Was there any lasting damage?”

The Alpha shook his head, “Nah Sweetness. My arm healed up just fine and Mama says I got a head like a rock.”

Hanzo scoffed, “I certainly believe that.” His lips pulled in a gentle smile, “But I am glad. I had no way of knowing how you were. My Father had tightened his hold on me here. My messages, phone-calls, and interactions are all monitored. Genji assures me that my phone is safe now though, and I hope he is right. I…I have missed you so much, Jesse.”

The admission from the normally prideful and imperious Omega was something Jesse would forever hold close to his heart. He smiled and leaned forward, closer to his phone, “And I’ve missed you, Sweetness. Not a day has gone by that I don’t think about you. Always somethin’ to remind me of what I had to leave behind, nightmares that haunt me.”

“Have you been alright there?” the question was posed.

Jesse just shrugged, “I’m alive. Haven’t been shot ‘er killed so there’s that.”

Hanzo’s face went deadpan, “You instill such confidence…”

At this the Alpha just laughed, shaking his head before he let out a heavy sigh, “I’ll be honest. I’ve been a damn mess. On top of missin’ you every second of every day, the folks here found out I’m an Alpha and I’ve gotten no end of shit. It’s…up until a few days ago I felt like I was barely hangin’ on Sweetness. Was just spinnin’ my wheels.”

The Omega wore a confused expression, but hummed, “You said…a few days ago?” there was wariness in his voice.

“It’s nothin’ like that!” Jesse was quick to defend, “Darlin’ there isn’t anything in this world that could replace you or that smile of yours. Nah. See, there’s this fella, another Alpha who joined Deadlock. He’s gay, y’know? Mated to another Alpha, an’ he an’ I didn’t have the best start. But the other day he helped me out ‘n we got to talkin. He’s a good guy. Fought in the war, would give everything for his mate. We’ve just been getting to know each other, and it was nice to have someone to talk to since all my other friends stopped talkin’ to me.”

Hanzo canted his head, “They did not know you were an Alpha? Why did that change anything?”

Jesse just chewed his lip as he considered his words, “Well, here in America it’s almost all Betas. Those of us who aren’t Beta are encouraged to look and act Beta, and not really tell anyone. Alphas especially get shit because of, well, I guess what your Father had to deal with. People are just convinced that Alphas are no better than feral dogs.”

“Ugh, Americans,” Hanzo scoffed sharply.

“Hey now, I’m an American born an’ bred,” the Alpha pointed out.

“One of the rare tolerable ones, I suppose. I just hope they are not treating you so terribly, and I hope this other Alpha can help you.”

A long pause fell over them, neither wanting the conversation to end, yet content to just watch each other through the video feed. Finally Jesse found his voice, “What about you? Genji seems the same, at least.”

Hanzo smiled again and Jesse felt his stomach flip and his heart skip, “Genji is very much the same, yes. He has been helping me a lot.” He paused for a moment before continuing with his eyes lowered, “After you were sent away, I struggled through my nesting period. I had never experienced such a feeling of loss and loneliness before. Genji did what he could, but… I have been…managing. I found that if I could keep myself busy then I could get through the days easier but much as you said, there is not a day when I do not think of you.”

Jesse felt his heart sink more and more as Hanzo spoke. Guilt welled inside of him as he realized that he had abandoned his mate during a time of need and he felt that clawing at him. “Darlin’… I wish I could have been there. I…”

“There is nothing we could have done, Jesse. It isn’t your fault. I had wanted to contact you sooner, but with how my father monitors my every move… There is something else you should know,” the look of anguish on Hanzo’s face had the Alpha squirming in his seat, his instincts running wild in his chest.

“I got a bad feelin’…”

“My Father was furious about the mark. He has moved the wedding up. It will happen just before my next Heat…” Jesse felt his stomach drop and his skin felt far too cold for the warming New Mexico air, “No matter what I say or argue, he will not have it. Three months.”

Jesse snarled suddenly and quickly reigned himself back when he saw Hanzo’s flinch, “No, Darlin… I’m not…mad at you. Sorry. I just can’t believe he would do this to his own flesh ‘n blood. But look at me, a’right?” he waited until honey eyes stared back at him, disarming with how much trust and affection they held, “I’m gonna come get you. One way or another, I’m gonna get you ‘n we’re gonna carve out our own life somewhere, you ‘n me…”

He saw Hanzo’s throat bob as he swallowed, “How do you propose to get into Hanamura undetected? I will not stand to have you charging here just for my Father to murder you!”

“I don’t know yet! I really don’t, but damnit all Hanzo – I’ll  _ swim _ to Japan if I gotta. I’m not lettin’ you go again.”

Hanzo’s smile was a small, fragile thing, “Don’t chase the sun, Jesse…”

“If it means getting’ you back, I’ll chase it til’ I’m dead.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT PSA: The practices used in handling guns in this chapter is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. This is BY NO MEANS a safe way to handle firearms. Given that Jesse is in a gang, however, I'm working under the assumption that these are a bunch of kids with no formal training, and Gabriel is internally SHRIEKING at all the unsafe and improper practices.   
> 1\. ALWAYS use a solid backdrop when using a firearm in a controlled environment (i.e. not self-defense).  
> 2\. NEVER shoot bottles/any glass objects. Shattering glass can travel a good distance and can easily hit someone/get into their eyes which leads me to...  
> 3\. ALWAYS use goggles/eye protection.  
> 4\. ALWAYS use some form of earmuffs/soundproof headphones. Firearms are LOUD and can damage your hearing.  
> There are a thousand and one other things I can point out here BUT for the sake of not making an AN longer than the chapter I leave it here.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the many more soon to come!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AS ALWAYS thank my beautiful Betas Dicktrickle and BananaButtStuff for their amazing work being my beta and cheerleaders~

Jesse’s days had taken on a routine. At six am he woke to the chirp of his phone ringing, a call from Hanzo who was often just settling in for the night. The Alpha couldn’t think of a better way to start any of his days than to help his mate wind down for bed, to listen to the other talk sleepily about his day. Sometimes he would ask Jesse to rumble a growl into the phone while Hanzo nested, to help him feel safe and secure.

After Hanzo fell asleep, around seven am, Jesse would climb out of his truck and take the path down the Cliffside to the Deadlock range. There he met with Gabriel, and each morning the man ran exercises with Jesse for at least an hour. He tried not to complain, he tried to keep Hanzo in his head and reminded himself that he  _ had _ to be better. Nothing else in the world mattered. If he was going to steal Hanzo away from his family, Jesse had to be in-shape and ready for anything.

Once they had both worked up a healthy sweat they parted ways. Jesse went to do his maintenance work around the compound, and Gabriel went to take care of his own duties. They met back again for dinner, often in the diner. Sharing drinks, a meal, and sometimes a few rounds of poker with some of the rest of Deadlock (Jesse had successfully hustled Gabriel during their first few matches) had a refreshing effect on the young Alpha after so many months of his self-imposed exile. He started to feel like himself again, he started to feel  _ better _ than himself.

After dinner, he and Gabriel would return to the range where the elder Alpha would help Jesse with his shooting. Initially there had been a few disheartening days when, as Gabriel forced Jesse to adjust his stance to a ‘more proper’ form, his marksmanship plummeted. Jesse wondered if that was what it felt like to have a father or an older brother, someone who looked over his form and corrected him, encouraged him, and patted his back when he did well. It was  _ intoxicating. _

Finally, Jesse went to bed early knowing he had a phone call waiting for him in the morning. Exhausted and sweaty, he washed himself down in one of the cold outdoor showers before crawling back into his truck. He often wound down by texting Hanzo, who was often just eating lunch. Sadly they couldn’t risk calling during daytime hours, the risk was too great, but sometimes Hanzo would send pictures of Hanamura, Genji, or even the rare selfie…

Life was surprisingly  _ good _ for the Alpha. He had a goal, each day working towards something tangible. Each day ticked away, another day closer to his mate.

“Do you wanna learn how to fight,  _ vaquero _ ?” Gabriel posed the question while they were eating one night, halfway through shitty tacos and beer.

The younger Alpha perked up at the man’s side, the pair of them eating at the diner’s counter while the booths were taken up with games of poker. “Of course,” Jesse wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, “I mean, I’m pretty decent in a scrap…”

“Yeah, but what happens when you go up against someone who really knows how to fight?” the man asked.

Jesse instantly recalled the feeling of being thrown onto his back, the humiliation of being so utterly defeated by Lord Shimada. Apparently his resignation showed on his face because Gabriel thumped him on the back, “S’ok. We’ll start sparring tonight, I’ll show you how to throw a proper punch.”

The words made Jesse pause, “When I brought it up before, you didn’t want to teach me fighting.” It had been a question he’d asked early into their new routine, asking about Gabriel’s knowledge and asking if he’d also teach Jesse how to fight. The answer, then, had been a solid  _ no _ .

“That’s ‘cause I didn’t want to risk putting you through the cliff wall.” Gabriel crunched into his taco and grunted, “Let’s just say that even with the pills, I didn’t quite trust myself.”

It took an embarrassingly long time for Jesse to realize what the man was talking about. When it clicked he let out a wince, “You have pills for that? But I thought you ‘n… _ you know who… _ ” He wanted to be careful talking around the Deadlock, he never knew who was listening. He wondered how Gabriel could have just gone through his Rut without his mate, even with medication.

“Sometimes we have to be apart for a while, like now. The pills do a lot for  _ some  _ aspects, but aggression levels can still spike,” the man shrugged. “It’s passed now, so I can show you a few things. Just so I know, when’s your next one due?”

The question caught Jesse off-guard. His Rut had been so far from his mind since his return from Japan that he realized he’d long since missed the mark for what would have been his last one. He tried not to let his surprise create an awkward pause, so he just rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Soon I think. I reckon it's been about long enough.”

“You don’t track these things? That can be dangerous,  _ Niño _ .” That tone seeped into the man’s voice, something that reminded Jesse too much of the elder brother he didn’t have.

“I’ve dealt with it plenty in the past. I’ll be fine…” Jesse deflected the question as he shoved another bite of taco into his mouth, humming around the taste. “I don’t have fancy pills like you so trust me, you’ll know when it starts.”

Gabriel just grunted his form of a response and took a long drink of his beer. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand as he chewed over his thoughts for a moment. “You’ve been doing a lot better lately,” the man pointed out, “Better attitude, more social, eating more. Something happen?”

Jesse just scoffed. His mind went to Hanzo, but he didn’t dare voice it. He knew he could trust Gabriel, but the idea of sharing even the knowledge of his mate’s existence with anyone felt like a risk. He just swallowed down the rest of his beer and hummed, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been feeling better lately, must be all the exercise.”

“Uh-huh,” the other Alpha didn’t sound convinced, but Jesse didn’t care.

A clatter sounded as a metal bowl dropped down in front of Jesse, making both Alphas jerk their heads up. The sight of the item made Jesse’s hackles want to raise as his body tensed slowly, a sour taste filling his mouth as he glared at what he realized was a dog bowl with the name ‘FIDO’ scrawled in sharpie and a stinking heap of wet dog food piled inside.

A man stood on the other side of the counter with a smug grin on his face, “Dogs ain’t supposed to eat at the counter.”

Jesse tried to quell the burning pillar of fire blazing in his chest, the raw desire to lunge over the space and beat the man’s face bloody. A million thoughts raced through his mind, but before he could act on any of them Gabriel was already standing. Faster than Jesse could process, the elder Alpha had grabbed the bowl and smashed it into the other man’s face, sending splatters of dog food everywhere.

The man flailed and scrambled to wipe his face off, “The shit’s your deal!”

The room had gone suddenly quiet.

“You got a problem with Jesse? You got a problem with  _ Alphas _ ?” Gabriel’s voice filled the room, laced with rage and power. Jesse quickly recognized the thread of Alpha voice laced into his tone, the commanding power that held everyone captive all at once. He pushed on with a loud snarl, baring his teeth, “You wanna treat us like dogs? Because you keep pickin’ on the kid, you’re pickin’ a fight with me too, asswipes! And you all know that I can take any of you, and I will.”

Jesse let out a weak sound, “Gabe…”

The fire of rage had simmered out quickly in light of Gabriel exposing himself to the rest of the gang and  _ defending _ him yet again. It was both nice and terrifying to think that the other Alpha would stand up for him, that he actually had a  _ friend _ he could count on and look up to that hadn’t disappointed him.

The diner was still silent in the aftermath, all eyes on Jesse and Gabriel as if waiting for one of them to start barking. Gabriel just let out a low, threatening growl and finished off his drink before grabbing Jesse by the shoulder, “C’mon  _ vaquero _ .”

He went willingly, following the Alpha out of the diner and away from prying eyes.

Jesse waited until they were out of earshot before he gently pushed the hand from his shoulder, “Gabe, what the hell were you thinkin’? You just… They’re gonna give you so much shit now, you won’t get as many jobs.”

Gabriel just growled, the low sound filling the air and Jesse felt his own desire to submit to the sound, “How they treat you is as much an insult to me as it is to you. Pisses me off to see people so fucking close-minded. At least now they shouldn’t give you as much shit.”

“You didn’t have to do that though!”

Gabriel turned suddenly, staring Jesse down, “I didn’t have to, but I did. Now it’s done. Stop worrying.”

The command behind the man’s voice had Jesse keep his mouth shut to any further complaint. Instead he chose to follow the Alpha out further away from the diner towards the cliffside with a cool night wind on their backs to soothe the cruel heat draining from the day.

Gabriel stopped at the edge of the cliff and moved to sit down with a grunt. Jesse paused at the man’s side and after a moment settled down as well. With the sun setting and the heat fading from the air, the space was comfortable and, in many ways, beautiful. There was something that always made the young Alpha feel at home about the sight of miles of flat desert and the orange-pink sky outlining the distant mountains. It made him feel small, and he was oddly okay with that. It made the world feel bigger and more mysterious.

“Want a smoke?” Jesse asked, reaching to his jacket to pull out a crumpled box of cigarettes from inside.

Gabriel scoffed, “Yeah, but none of that shit.” He sat back and reached into his own jacket and pulled out a gold cigar case. It looked heavy and old, filigree patterned along the face and a big GR printed in fancy letters. That made Jesse frown, “I thought your last name was Sanchez?”

For a moment the man looked genuinely surprised as he looked from Jesse, then to the case. He grunted, “This belonged to my grandfather. I was named after him. My  _ mamá _ took her husband’s name after they married though.” The man flipped the case open where five cigars were neatly tucked away, pre-cut but one missing, having already been smoked. Gabriel plucked one out for himself, then offered the case out.

Jesse hesitated for a moment, then set his pack aside and pulled out a second cigar, pulling it to his lips. “These look expensive,” he commented as he tested the feel between his lips.

Gabriel grinned as he pulled out a lighter, silver to contrast the gold cigar case. He flicked and lit the device fluidly, pulling the flame to his own cigar so he could light the end with a few short draws. With the tip lit he let out a sigh, heavy smoke billowing out from his mouth and nose into the air like dragon-smoke. “They are,” he nodded once finished and held the flame out for Jesse.

The younger leaned in and took a drag to light the tip, the heavy smoke pulling into his lungs. His throat and lungs seized up suddenly and he snatched the cigar as he coughed out suddenly, trying to breathe.

Gabriel’s strong hand hit his back, helping him to choke out the last of the smoke while his ears rang. The older man growled and swatted the back of Jesse’s head, “You don’t breathe it in,  _ cabrón _ ! It’s too heavy for that.”

Jesse just grumbled and ducked his head while Gabriel slipped the lighter and cigar case back into his jacket, shaking his head, “Well, at least you won’t make that mistake again.”

The younger grumbled to himself and slipped the cigar back between his lips, taking the smoke into his mouth and holding it there. The flavor filled his senses, taste, smell, and texture wrapping him up in a velvet embrace of pleasant static. He let it out through his nose and hummed, only coughing once. “We can’t help how we’re born,” he said after another puff and sighed it out, “Alpha, Omega, Beta…”

“No, we can’t,” Gabriel agreed and that seemed to be the end of it. After another moment he added, “But it doesn’t change how things are. All you can do is keep your head high and remind yourself that people who walk around and treat people like shit are going to get what’s coming to them one way or another. You can’t hang yourself up on what they think or they say, don’t let them hold you back. Fight when you need to, but otherwise just keep your chin up because at the end of the day, the best way to fight a hateful person is with indifference. If they get under your skin and they know it, they win. But if they can’t get through, if your armor’s too thick for them to pierce with words or thoughts, they’ll drive themselves mad with their own malice.”

“That’s easy for you to say, though. I don’t have your muscles or your voice or your training. I’m just a low-life grunt in a shithole gang goin’ nowhere.”

Gabriel’s scoff was sharp, a huff of smoke curling over the open expanse of air over the cliff, “You think I wasn’t young once? Think I didn’t get shit for what I am? I dropped out of high school because they treated the Alpha kids like they were all dangerous, like we would jump on any Omega that crossed our path. We weren’t allowed to do things with the normal kids because we were a liability. They treated us like we were stupid and crazed. I got sick of it, so I bailed. I was passed up for jobs, looked down on. So I joined the military, it was the only place that I knew would take me in regardless. The only thing they cared about was that I could fight and take orders.” He went quiet for a long moment as he drew in a long puff and held it, “Soon enough I learned that I had to work harder to prove myself, sure, but it felt damn good when I showed up some Beta cuck both on the field and in the classroom.” He grinned around his cigar.

Jesse listened and turned over the man’s words in his head. He hummed softly, “What if I don’t wanna fight? I don’t wanna show people up or prove myself better. I just wanna get back to my mate and have a halfway decent life. But I can’t do that here, and I can’t just leave.”

Silence settled around them like the smoke hanging around their heads. “Listen to me,  _ Niño _ , you  _ have _ to fight if you want a good life. I don’t care what your race, gender, sex, or sexuality is. Life’s a shithole unless you make it better yourself. If you have something good, then you’re gonna have to  _ fight _ to keep it.”

Jesse looked down into the valley below them and sighed out. He thought about Hanzo, waiting for him back in Japan. He thought about going to get him, about having the Shimada and the Deadlock on his ass for the rest of his life, about what Hanzo would have to go through. Would they ever have a moment to start the family they wanted? To enjoy each other? Or would it just be a life on the run, a life of dodging bullets and hunters.

“Have you ever had to be strong when you feel like you’re powerless?” Jesse finally pulled his thoughts together into a question.

Gabriel huffed, “More than you’ll ever know.”

Jesse took a deep breath and let the satin smoke curl around his bones and mute the jagged edges of his mind, “My mate and I got back in contact. It’s… God it’s a relief and then some to hear his voice again. But he’s so far away. I’ll do what it takes to get back to him, anything in the world. But I just can’t help thinking that I won’t be able to give him the life he deserves. I don’t have your training, I can’t just join the military.”

“Why not? They can offer you safety from Deadlock.”

“It’s…it’s not Deadlock I’m worried so much about,” he swallowed and took another puff, “There’s a lot more to this than I can tell you.”

Gabriel hummed a long, low sound. A warm hand pressed to the middle of Jesse’s back to offer comfort, “You can tell me anything, Jesse. Maybe I can help.”

“You’ve helped me so much already. I’m not gonna put this on you, I wouldn’t risk you or Jack for this.”

Gabriel huffed and growled, “You let me decide what I’m willing to risk myself for.”

“No!” Jesse tensed up and frowned, sighed out a breath, “I’m sorry, but it’s just something I can’t talk about.”

A chime filled the air around them and made them both jump. Gabriel looked down and reached to his pocket, pulling out his phone. Jesse could see a familiar blonde face on the caller-ID and found himself smiling, “Go on,  _ jefe _ .”

The man grunted and pulled himself to stand. “Just remember to come to me if you need something, Jesse,” Gabriel reiterated gently before he accepted the call and turned to walk away, “You’re calling early…”

Jesse watched the man walk towards the slope leading down the cliff, phone to his ear and he couldn’t help but feel a little envious. He reached down to pull his own phone out and typed a message to Hanzo while he finished the cigar he had been sharing with Gabriel.

* * *

 

“You’re calling early…” Gabriel hummed into the line, trying not to sound as worried as he felt with Jesse still nearby. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Jack’s voice was rough as ever, but weighted down with exhaustion and something deeper that Gabriel couldn’t identify. After a moment the man sighed and Gabriel could almost see the way his mate’s shoulders were sagging, “I just needed to hear your voice. Today’s been rough…”

Gabriel immediately pushed the pup and Deadlock to the back of his mind, every instinct and fiber of his being singing with the need in Jack’s voice. “I wish I could be there for you,  _ mi sol _ . It won’t be much longer now. What can I do for you?”

“Just stay on the phone with me for a bit,” was Jack’s simple request. Gabriel knew how independent and strong his mate was, how much trust and pride it took for him to admit something so simple. He could relate because he was the same way – and hearing his mate’s voice was like a breath of fresh air when he was drowning in New Mexico’s sandy sea.

Not quite done with his Cuban, Gabriel just hummed and puffed a slow, lazy jet of smoke into the phone, “I’m having one of those cigars you hate so much. Wanna yell at me?”

“No, but I know your  _ abuela _ is spinning in her grave.”

Gabriel scoffed, “Nice try, Boy Scout, but who do you think gave me my first cigar? I was sharing one with the pup Alpha. He needed a good smoke, damn near choked himself on it though. I guess he only knows shitty cigarettes.”

Jack hummed softly, the tone softening the usual gravel in his voice, “You don’t share cigars, Gabe.”

The Alpha huffed and took another puff, “I’m trying to get him to talk to me about Japan still. I’ve nearly got all the info on Deadlock I need, but whatever their deal is with Shimada, they’re keeping the details locked up tight. Besides…he’s a good kid, under all that scruff.”

“So, how long until the bust?” Jack wondered aloud, trying and failing to keep the hope out of his voice.

“I… I’m gonna give the kid a few more days. I think he’s close to giving me the info. A week at most. If he still hasn’t talked by this time next week, I’ll haul him in and I’ll get it out of him the hard way.” The thought of doing that to Jesse after the way the kid had looked up to him hurt. “The kid’s surprisingly tight-lipped on Japan, and about his mate. I haven’t resorted to force but, persuasion isn’t working.”

The blonde grunted, “Considering what I know about the situation, from what you’ve told me, is it possible that the problems are one in the same?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you have any idea when Jesse was mated to this mate of his? Whatever happened in Japan, it’s possible that his mate is somehow tangled up in all of that. It’s the only reason I could think of that a kid like that would be so loyal to Shimada after all the damage he came back with,” Jack answered. It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.

Gebriel wanted to steer their conversation from work,  “Either way, another week and then I’ll be home,” he felt himself smiling despite the churn of unease in his chest, “I know it’s tough but see about getting a day off, because I have a few month’s worth of sexual frustration to get out on you.”

Jack didn’t reply except to growl, low and long, into the phone. The sound ignited a fire in Gabriel that had him standing a little straighter and returning the sound in kind. He  _ missed _ his Jack. The mark on his neck throbbed slowly, reminding him that it hadn’t been renewed in a while.

“Think you can get all that out in one day?” the blonde finally prodded lightly, his growl fading.

“Hah!” Gabriel barked his amusement, “I couldn’t do that with a lifetime, Jackie. But I’m going to make due with what I can. Get that time off and you’ll be grateful for that cushy ass desk job of yours, because you’ll be limping for a week when I’m done with you.”

Jack just scoffed, “Like you won’t be either?”

“At least I’ll have the excuse that I just got done dealing with these fuckers.”

It was Jack’s turn to laugh and Gabriel pictured the sight of the man in his head. Finally the blonde let out a sigh, “Your clothes don’t have your scent anymore. I can’t sleep…”

“You barely slept anyway, but you’ve gotta try. If you want, call me before you go to bed tonight and I’ll stay on the phone with you.”

Jack hummed a curious  sound, “Will you sing me that old love song like you used to?”

Gabriel sputtered slightly, “I… That was one time, and I was  _ very _ drunk!”

“ _ Pleeeeeeease? No tengo miedo de rogarte en español… _ ”

Gabriel felt his dick get  _ very _ hard  _ very _ quickly. “You’re too white to talk like that!” he tried quickly.

“ _ Puedo hablar seis idiomas, así que puedes, _ ” Jack retorted easily.

The asshole  _ knew _ how fast that got Gabriel’s blood flowing downward. He groaned and scrubbed his face with his free hand, “Agh!  _ Fine _ , fine. I’ll…sing you a few bars.  _ When you go to bed. _ ”

“I look forward to it,” the blonde sighed happily, “and I look forward to having you back.”

“Me too,  _ mi sol _ , me too.” Gabriel sighed again and tossed his finished cigar into the dirt and ground it under his heel, “Let me call and check in with a few folks. You head to bed and call me in a little bit.” Jack grunted his assent and Gabriel smiled, “Oh and Jack? It’s gonna be a video call, and you’re gonna be  _ naked. _ ” He pulled the phone away and ended the call to the sound of his mate’s startled yelp.

For a long moment Gabriel stood with his back to the cliff wall, eyes closed, and thoughts a static mess. In a week’s time he would be home, reunited with his mate,  _ happy _ again. But he thought about what it would mean for Jesse.

What Jack said had merit. Was it possible that Jesse’s mate was tied to Shimada? It wouldn’t be absurd to assume that Shimada had taken a hostage to keep the kid quiet, and it explained Jesse’s refusal to speak on the matter.

Gabriel dialed Aries and the line picked up immediately, “Good evening, Commander.”

“Were you able to tap into the kid’s phone?” he asked the AI immediately, brows furrowed. Aries had been scanning Jesse’s phone for weeks without any new information. It was only the day before that Aries was able to confirm that his scanning software was being fed a loop that was hiding whatever was on that device. If it was able to fool Aries, it must have been a good piece of tech.

The smooth voice returned readily, “The proximity and time spent allowed me to run several scans on the device in question. When I bypassed the loop I was able to extract the data from the device as a raw feed. There remains, however, one final problem.”

Gabriel let out a groan, “What now?”

“The data I received is heavily encrypted. It could take me weeks to decrypt everything without risk of the data erasing itself – there are several safety protocols woven into the encryption. However, if I take smaller segments, I should have something for you within twenty-four hours.”

The Alpha hummed, “How’s a kid like that get such fancy software on his phone?”

“I do not know, Commander.”

“I wasn’t…” he sighed and reminded himself that the AI had no concept of a  _ rhetorical _ question and pressed on instead, “Work on a segment and get me what you can by tomorrow night. I want this to be over already.”

He hung up the call to let Aries get to work, rocking back on his heels as he stared at his phone, then looked up the Cliffside pathway.

_ Soon _ , he told himself. Soon he would be through with his mission.

* * *

 

The sound of Hanzo’s ringtone was sharp and loud compared to any other ringtone on Jesse’s phone. It made sure that he woke up each morning to answer his mate’s call, piercing into his dreams and making him scramble for the phone resting in his pocket. It always got his adrenaline going, though he attributed most of that to being so suddenly woken up.

He quickly answered the call, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, “Mornin’ beautiful,” he yawned.

And there was Hanzo, a vision of everything beautiful in the world. His long hair was draped over one shoulder and his figure wrapped in a gorgeous blue-satin robe. He looked like a Christmas present waiting to be unwrapped, and it was the best sight to wake up to, in Jesse’s mind.

His angel was smiling, bottom lip between his teeth with something akin to excitement and anxiousness written on his features, “Good evening, Alpha.”

The word was enough to punch a groan out of the man, “I haven’t even been awake a whole minute ‘n you’re tryin’ to kill me?”

Hanzo’s smile turned mischievous, his eyes glinting with promise, “Yes, but  _ I’ve _ been up all day.” The Omega shifted closer to the phone and Jesse noticed that he must have been using a hands-free holder because he was fully visible in the frame. “I had a dream about us last night… A memory from my Heat. It has been with me all day and I have been just waiting to call you.”

Jesse felt his cheeks go red as he realized what Hanzo was saying, “You want me to help you out there, Sweetness?”

“I just need your voice, Alpha,” the smaller adjusted himself and the top of his robe slipped off of one tattoo-marked shoulder, exposing a swathe of creamy skin. His own cheeks were tinted a lovely shade of pink and Jesse’s gaze zeroed in on the caramel nipple visible, settled just above the lovely blue of Hanzo’s robes.

He realized it took him far too long to process the request, most of the blood from his brain having already abandoned him. “Fuck Sweetness, I wish I was there. Can’t tell you how many dreams of you I’ve had, how many memories of you ridin’ my dick like a rodeo champ.”

Hanzo leaned back into his nest, a pile of pillows and blankets propping him up to keep him fully visible. He had planned this, intended to call Jesse and tease him. He shifted until he was able to spread his legs, the long lines of strong calves and thighs visible as the robe fell, leaving only the waiting heat between his legs hidden by the folds of satin.

Jesse could practically scent the slick in the air, a growl filling his chest as he reached down to palm himself through his jeans, rocking his hips up into the heel of his palm.

“Tell me what you want to do to me, Alpha…” Hanzo’s hand came up and he let his fingers lazily skim over the skin of chest, swirling around the peaked nipple as he awaited Jesse’s answer.

“First thing I’d do is bite a fresh mark on your neck,” the Alpha’s voice was tipped in a growl, watching as his Omega spread his legs a little further, the hand coming up to his neck to trace the dark scar there. “Hell, I’d bite you all over. Your neck, your chest, suck on those pretty tits for a little bit…”

Hanzo arched his back, pushing his chest out some as he let the other side of his robe slip off of his remaining shoulder, both hands coming up to frame those beautiful breasts. “I do recall you spent a lot of time on my chest,” the man commented, “not that I minded.”

“You were squealin’ the whole time Darlin’. But for as much as I loved those pretty nipples of yours, you were beggin’ me for a cock between your legs.”

Hanzo hummed a low moan, one hand sliding down over blue silk to rest between his legs, “Yes,” his voice was suddenly breathless. “Let me see you Alpha,” the Omega panted, “Please!”

Well how could he deny a request like that? He reached over and clicked his phone into the hands-free holster attached to his truck’s dashboard and sat back, spreading his legs for Hanzo while he fumbled to undo his pants. It took some work with the limited space that he had, but soon enough he pulled his cock free and rubbed a hand over it. He leaned forward and opened the glove box, pulling out the little bottle of lube he kept tucked away (for emergencies) and squirted some in his hand to slick it up before taking another few easier rubs at his dick.

“You’re so big,” Hanzo purred, his hand curling and rubbing deliberately over himself in a blatant tease, “I remember feeling that in me. So big, stretching me so wide,” he let out a long, loud moan that tapered off into a keen.

Jesse’s dick twitched hard in his hand, “Fuck Darlin, I remember it well. You were so nice around me, so hot ‘n wet ‘n  _ tight _ . C’mon, don’t tease me. Wanna see you too.”

Hanzo smirked again, biting his lip before he pulled his hand away enough to pull the tie of his robe free and let the garment slide open. Now exposed to the camera, Jesse had a beautiful view of everything the man’s body was offering, legs spreading wider so the Alpha could see the way the soft lips spread open beneath a stiff cock and tiny balls. He wanted to put his mouth all over that, he ached for it like a starving man.

“God above, Sweetness, if that isn’t one of the prettiest sights. Wish I could be there. I’d eat you out ten ways to Sunday,” he grinned when Hanzo gasped, his hand returning to his crotch to slowly let his fingertip trace over his blossoming folds. “You tasted like the sweetest honey, got me hooked with just one drop. I’d wanna get that honey flowing, get my fingers inside of you and open you up, suck that pretty little cock while I did…”

The Omega arched his back as he sank two slender fingers into himself, sighing out a shaking breath. His free hand came up and wrapped around his length, rubbing it lazily while his hips rolled. He was so pretty, Jesse mused, head thrown back, eyes closed as he let the pleasure crest over him.

“That’s it beautiful,” he hummed as he rubbed himself as an afterthought, eyes glued on his phone and the gyration of Hanzo’s hips. He couldn’t see the finer details, but he could imagine the pre bubbling on the tip of the Omega’s cock, the little dribbles of fluid escaping down from his hole and around his fingers as he worked himself. “You got any of your toys, Sweetness?” he spoke up.

Hanzo’s eyes blinked open slowly and he turned to look at Jesse for a moment. His hands slowed to a stop, but then the hand in his pussy slid out and he reached over, out of the frame to dig around in his nest. He returned with a dark purple dildo, long and fat in his hand.

The Alpha tipped his chin up and grinned, “I’d make you earn it. Have you suck on my cock to get me all ready for your sweet little hole…” He almost choked on his own air when his mate pulled the tip of the toy to his lips and made a deliberate show of working the head with soft lips and a teasing pink tongue. Jesse worked his glans with his thumb, swirling it around in mock imitation of Hanzo’s ministrations.

The Omega took more into his mouth, swallowing down several inches and slurping loudly for effect, making Jesse squeeze the base of his cock when he felt a rush boiling in his belly. “Oh God, just like that…” he noted how Hanzo was still stroking himself, tugging on his little cock while he suckled on the toy like it was a delicious treat. He also noticed the fat knotted base on the toy and had to give himself another squeeze.

“Fuck, as much as I wanna put a load all over that pretty face of yours, and trust me I do, I’d rather put one in you. Wanna spread your legs wide and spear you deep…” his voice felt thick and tight.

Hanzo moaned softly as he pulled the toy from his lips with a wet sound, panting noisily before he grinned, “Shouldn’t you open me up a little first?”

Jesse scoffed, “For anyone else, sure. But you love bein’ stretched out wide.” The Omega didn’t bother with an argument, instead reaching down with the toy. It was hard to see with the angle of the camera, but he watched as Hanzo rubbed the tip over his folds before he reached out of frame again and produced a small bottle of lube.

Without removing the tip of the toy from himself, he managed to open the bottle and dribble some of the lube over the top. He tossed the bottle away and used his free hand to slick the dildo up and Jesse couldn’t help a low groan as his hand mimicked Hanzo’s actions, “Fuck you feel good…”

“I’m about to feel even better,” the man quipped playfully. He settled back into the cushions, “Hmm, how would you take me?” he asked wistfully.

“As nice as it would be to fuck into you nice ‘n quick, I’d go real slow. I want you to  _ feel _ me stretching you out…” His breath hitched as he watched the tip of the fat dildo spread Hanzo’s lips wide and  _ slowly _ sink inside of him. The moan that escaped his mate made Jesse squeeze the base of his cock again, panting out a few shaky breaths, “Just like that. Fuck you’re so tight,” he used his free hand to grip and stroke his shaft tight while trying to keep himself from popping just yet.

“ _ Alpha _ ,” the words panted out on a sharp keen. Hanzo’s hips bucked up some while he tried to ride the toy.

“So good for me, beautiful,” Jesse panted, his hand stroking faster as the toy reached the top of the knot and spread those pretty lips just a little bit wider. The toy withdrew slowly, a few inches before pushing back in and Hanzo whined, “Fuck,” Jesse hissed sharply. He could feel his own knot starting to swell, his body aching to tie with his mate and breed him proper.

There was a soft little click, barely audible, but Jesse became aware of the sound of buzzing as Hanzo’s body twitched sharply. His finger was on a little switch at the base of the toy now vibrating inside as he fucked himself.

“That’s it gorgeous, God you’re so perfect. You feel my knot don’t you? You’re gonna take that. Gonna spread you even wider and lock you on that,” he grinned as Hanzo’s body twitched as he spoke to his mate, “Gonna breed you right. Oh Darlin’, trust me. Once I get my knot back in you I’m gonna put a pup in your belly, gonna look even prettier.”

“Jesse!” Hanzo let out a broken wail, back bowing in a beautiful arch, “I want it, want your knot, want your pup!”

“Go on then Sweetness, take it. Take my knot,” that was it for him. The sudden rush of instinct and  _ need _ was so overwhelming that his knot swelled and his cock pulsed, thick ropes of seed spilling out all over the dashboard of his car. He reached down and wrapped his hand around his knot,  _ squeezing _ tight and wringing out several more ropes of cum on a hoarse shout.

When he cracked his eyes open again, through the fuzzy spots of black, he saw the toy had disappeared inside of Hanzo almost completely, the Omega’s body still arched and twitching as he rode out his own climax, hand stroking his cock. “Come on Sweetness,” Jesse growled, his voice more than loud enough to be heard, “Let go for me. Lemme have it, cum for me.”

He did. Hanzo sang out a beautiful sound as streaks of white drew lines over his stomach and chest, his whole body twitching and squirming as he rode out another wave of pleasure with the toy still buzzing away inside of him. He remained like  that for a long moment, gasping and moaning until his breathing returned to deep gulps of air.

His hand came down and the toy clicked off, the buzzing falling silent and Hanzo’s body collapsed bonelessly against the blankets and lay there just focusing on his breathing for a while. Jesse was ok to watch, a surge of pride swelling in his chest as if he really had just fucked his mate senseless. “Goddamn Darlin,” the Alpha breathed happily, “Just… _ goddamn _ .”

Hanzo moved slowly, lifting his head to look over at his phone. He blinked slowly, “Jesse… I can’t…really see you.”

It took a moment to parse his mate’s words, then leaned in a little to see that, “Oh shit,” he laughed as he reached up and used his thumb to rub off a stripe of cum that was covering the camera on his phone.

“Well,” Hanzo huffed haughtily, “At least it was good for you too. Aah…” he reached down and let Jesse watch as he grabbed the base of the dildo and tugged it firmly, letting out a few breathless sounds as he pulled it. The knot came out slowly, stretching the man’s hole wide before it popped out, the rest following more easily, followed by a generous rush of slick and lube that made Jesse’s cock give another interested twitch.

“You really are tryin’ to kill me Sweetness,” he teased with a grin.

“Hardly, I would miss your dick too much,” the Omega was quick to retort.

Jesse just barked a loud laugh, relaxing back into the seat of his truck so he could enjoy the afterglow.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, and as always, a HUGE and SPECIAL thanks to my beautiful betas Dicktrickle and BananaButtStuff for their incredible work.
> 
> Guys this is it. This is THE chapter that I had planned as the massive turning point to the whole story back when Youthful Dawn was just a concept. Get ready, my friends, because I dialed this chapter up to 12.

The dragons were troubled.

That was the thought that Hanzo awoke with one early morning when the twins stirred beneath the skin of his arm and within the confines of his soul. Of course it was not uncommon for them to be unruly or even restless, such was the nature of dragons bound by a leash. Yet for them to awaken their master with a cacophony of growls and whispers was something that unsettled Hanzo to his core.

After he woke, before the sun had even considered rising, he immediately checked his phone. Two text messages from Jesse confirmed that his mate was well, and the still silence of the morning spoke of the peace that remained over the castle.

However the dragons remained restless, stirring and swirling and growling in his mind.  _ Something _ was upsetting them.

After another moment and another surge of energy, Hanzo rose from his nest and eased himself to his feet. He could not return to the realm of dreams until he found the source of his dragons’ ire.

Taking only the time to pull on a loose robe, the Omega ventured out across the hall to Genji’s room, peeking inside briefly. His brother was snoring softly within the massive monstrosity of a bed he had claimed, surrounded by pillows and down, but altogether safe and peaceful. It set his mind somewhat at ease to know that the two people most important to him were safe, but as he closed Genji’s door the dragons swirled back to life, the blue glow splashing across the hall briefly as they pulled at his arms like eager dogs on a lead.

He followed their command, helpless to do anything beyond. Their glow faded when Hanzo obeyed, taking him through the Castle in the shortest path down to where his father’s quarters were. The unease of his dragons was bleeding into himself by the time he heard the murmurs.

The dragons wanted him to spy on his father?

On feather-light feet he crept closer to the door of his father’s office, the man likely having not slept since the night before with how he worked so tirelessly.

Hanzo paused when he could make sense of the murmurs, the dragons having settled down entirely beneath his skin upon having reached their desired destination.

“…on the twenty-fifth. The ceremony will be private, as you requested. Space for the witnesses you desire to send and our own immediate family and Council.” Sojiro’s voice was easy to make out, the tone business and monotone.

The other voice that came through was slightly muffled, the distant buzz of the speaker telling Hanzo that it must have been a video-call, “And you are certain he will be in Heat? He will be fertile? And what of the mark he already bears?”

“Yes, his body will go into Heat. I have already had him cease his birth control medications. The mark has no bearing. It was the result of an over-eager partner who was  _ dealt with _ shortly after,” his father’s voice was cold and Hanzo felt that ice creep into his veins as he realized what the discussion was about. He took a steadying breath through his mouth and crouched down to lower his profile should any servants be puttering around at such an hour.

“The mark  _ does _ have bearing, Shimada. You are giving me a  _ used product.  _ Even without birth control his body is less likely to accept seed from another Alpha. If your Omega doesn’t give us pups then he is  _ useless _ ,” the man’s voice was acidic, raising bile in Hanzo’s throat as he listened, “I maintain that you instead give over the younger Omega, the one who is not marked.”

“Genji is not suitable for such an arrangement. He is…difficult,” Sojiro was quick to intervene.

“Even the most unruly dog can be  _ tamed _ with the right measures.”

“You will watch your tone around me,” the elder Shimada snapped sharply, “I will not be cowed by your barks and growls. You will take my eldest or you will have no Shimada blood in your line. You will have to trust that I have taken the required measures to ensure that Hanzo is fertile and prepared.”

The man on the other end of the line scoffed loudly, “And what is this about your Omega having attachments with this mongrel who marked him? I’ve heard tales that they marked each other.”

“As. I. Said. They were young and overeager. The situation was  _ handled _ . There is no further attachment to be had between them, I have assured this.”

“Then I have an additional  _ request _ to finalize the agreement. Have your mongrel-bitten whore sedated for his Heat. My son does not need any extra resistance.”

There was a long pause before Hanzo heard his father grunt, “I will see that he has something to make him more  _ amenable  _ to the situation. If that is all?”

“Unless you decide to wed the younger son, then for now yes. We shall speak soon, Shimada.”

There was a click to indicate the end of the call and Hanzo remained crouched where he was for a long moment. He felt that if he moved he would throw up or simply die from the ice in his body. He had heard his father speak of trading servants around Japan like cattle but to hear  _ himself _ being spoken of in such a way.

When he heard the squeak of the chair moving from the office he knew he had to leave.

He pulled himself up to his feet, feeling as if he would fall over at any moment, turned and made his way for the nearest door. He was running by the time he reached the door, finding the courtyard outside before he was running. He didn’t know where he was going, just that he needed to be away from his father and responsibilities.

He needed to be with  _ Jesse _ …

* * *

When they were pups, their father used to take them to the Hanamura valley to fish and play. It had been so many years since their last excursion, but Hanzo could only think of the beauty and tranquility that came with the past. Memories of his father  _ before _ he had become the bane of Hanzo’s existence.

The Omega was without his phone, dressed only in thin pajama pants and a robe, curled in the branches of one of the tallest trees he could find. His face was wet with tear-tracks and the soles of his feet were raw from running barefoot. His whole body felt numb and he could not find the energy to move.

Noon had long since passed, his stomach protested, but mentally he could not be bothered to care. Not even boredom could touch his clouded mind as he replayed the conversation he had heard over and over again, fresh tears spilling each and every time.

The dragons had gone silent since they had woken him that morning, and Hanzo wondered yet again why they had woken him to hear such a horrible thing. Of course he knew why. The dragons wanted their mate as much as their master did, and what they had forced him to listen to only made him want it more. Where he had once been uncertain about leaving behind the Family, he now felt nothing.

“Hanzo!” A voice from below floated through the air, still distant.

He knew that his absence had long since been noticed. He knew they would come after him, search for him. They would likely find him…eventually. But Hanzo would make exactly zero effort to make himself easy to find.

He wondered if Jesse had noticed his silence. Suddenly panic spiked in his chest as he realized that he had left his phone behind in the castle. With people looking for him, it would only be a matter of time before they searched his phone and found his secret.

Hanzo scrambled to his feet and quickly descended the tree. As he dropped from the lower branches he nearly crashed into Genji who was walking below. The younger had jumped away briefly, though was swift to recover as he helped Hanzo up from his crouch, “There you are!”

“No time,” Hanzo snapped, the panic in his chest stirring the dragons, “I need to go back, I left—“

His words cut out as Genji pulled his brother’s phone out of his pocket, holding it out with a small smile, “When they told father you hadn’t shown up for lessons, I snuck into your room to see if you were alright. All I found was your phone but…”

Relief crested over the panic like a soothing ocean wave, smoothing the frayed edges of Hanzo’s mind. “Thank you, brother. Truly. You saved me yet again.” He turned his eyes down and opened his phone – sure enough he had eight new messages from Jesse with increasing levels of worry. He typed out a quick reply to soothe his mate.

Genji’s smile was brittle when Hanzo looked back up, “What is wrong, Hanzo? You never miss your lessons.”

“I…” the elder searched for words, but the memory of the conversation bled back to the forefront of his mind. He turned his eyes away from his brother and released a defeated sigh, “I cannot. No more. I cannot return,” he shook his head and felt shameful tears welling up again, sliding unbidden down his cheeks. The embarrassment he felt at crying in front of anyone, even his brother, only accelerated the rate at which tears began to fall.

Genji’s surprise was palpable, his expression morphing to genuine shock as he stepped forward, “Hanzo?”

“I’ve never understood,” Hanzo’s voice wavered dangerously, his throat feeling tight with all the words that he didn’t want to give voice, “Why does father favor you so?”

This time his brother’s eyes flashed with disbelief, “What? What are you talking about?”

“He treats you like his baby, his child. To him I am a  _ cow _ to be traded away! To Father I am nothing more than a uterus to carry on the family line. He keeps me caged in that castle, monitored and groomed so that I could be sold away to the highest bidder!” his voice gained volume and vitriol as he spoke. “I have  _ begged _ him to let me have the mate I want, I can  _ lead _ the family with Jesse at my side. I have begged him to have  _ you _ be the one who carries on the line but he  _ refuses _ because you are the one he loves and favors! What am I to him?”

Tears streaming, breath coming out in ragged gasps he let out a broken sob that had him doubling over.

He was surprised when his brother caught him and held him tightly. He had expected Genji to be upset or angry, but the other seemed to be setting aside his offense for the time being to give his brother comfort.

“Hanzo,” Genji’s voice was a soft thing against his brother’s hair, “I’m so sorry, Hanzo.”

Genji had no reason to apologize.  _ None _ of this was his fault, and Hanzo had no right to his outburst – but everything felt so overwhelming.

“Please,” the younger whispered, “I cannot help if I do not know what happened.”

Hanzo tensed again. He didn’t want to relive the conversation again, he didn’t want to think of his father’s voice saying such things about him. “I…” the elder sniffled and buried his face deeper into Genji’s shoulder, “I overheard father this morning…”

He retold the conversation word-for-word, wished he didn’t have to but Genji just held him through the ordeal. “A…After father hung up I ran. I had to get away, and I don’t want to go back.”

“Shh,” Genji tutted softly, rubbing along his brother’s back again. He took a breath and slowly pulled back. Hanzo saw Genji’s face also streaked with tears, his cheeks red and eyes glassy. “Hanzo… Hanzo if I could take this burden for you I would. But father insists that only a pure-blooded dragon can birth another dragon.”

At those words the elder furrowed his brows, “What are you talking about?”

“There is something you need to know, Hanzo. I was sworn not to tell, but I’ve held my tongue long enough. Come. We need to speak with the Father.” Genji’s face had taken on some determination that Hanzo had not seen before. The younger stood and held his hand out to his brother.

Hanzo stood hesitantly, “I do not wish to go back,” he insisted again.

“If you choose to run again, brother, I will not stop you. I will not chase you.”

“Why can’t you tell me here? Now?”

“Because Father has done you the ultimate disservice for keeping this from you! For letting it affect his views as much as it has,” Genji’s brows furrowed, “and  _ he _ will be the one to tell you.”

It took two firm tugs before Hanzo stumbled after his brother, following him away from the safety of his tree. He looked down when his phone buzzed and smiled at the heart emoji that Jesse had sent him. He wanted nothing more than to hear his mate’s voice, but he wouldn’t deny Genji when his brother was this determined.

The walk back to the Castle was a quiet one. Hanzo had enough time to compose himself enough to appear more presentable by the time they stepped through the gates. Several servants spotted them coming through, hand-in-hand, and appeared relieved to see his heir had returned.

Hanzo pondered over Genji’s words, debated ripping his hand away and breaking back for the forest.

Logic stopped his hand, the knowledge that he had to find some way to reliably get to his mate first. He had to endure, for the moment at least.

Genji kept leading them deeper into the compound, into the Castle proper. Hanzo followed blindly, keeping Genji’s hand tight in his own. They retraced the path back to their Father’s office and Genji threw the door open with far more force than necessary, startling the Dragon inside.

Sojiro’s eyes were quick to flick over both of his sons, relief draining the tension from his shoulders before his brows furrowed and he barked in a clipped tone, “Genji, what is the meaning of this?”

“Father, you made me swear to keep your secret. I have done so for long enough. Hanzo deserves to know why I cannot be the one to carry on the family line, why you are denying him his mate. If you do not, I will hold my tongue no longer!”

Silence filled the room. Sojiro appeared momentarily stunned before he let out a heavy breath through his nose, “There is a time and place for everything, Genji.”

“Well it’s now,” the younger snapped.

It was obvious that the elder man wanted nothing to do with the train of conversation as he quieted again. Hanzo had never seen his father appear so visibly uncomfortable before, and finally found his words, “What is the meaning of this, Father? Genji is right, I deserve to know why you favor him so!”

“It has nothing to do with favoring!” Sojiro was quick to return, but even he seemed to recognized the unnecessary bite to his words and closed his mouth quickly. He let out another sigh and shook his head, “Close the door. Come with me.”

It took a moment before Hanzo let go of Genji’s hand and turned to slide the door closed, locking it. Meanwhile his father had turned and ventured to the back of his office, to the door leading into his personal room that Hanzo had not entered since he was a toddler.

Sojiro slid his door open and vanished inside. Genji followed a moment later and left Hanzo standing in the office.

He had the opportunity to flee. Despite his curiosity for whatever the secret may have been, he did not think there was any revelation that would make his burden easier to handle.

Still, after a moment he followed…

Sojiro’s room was far unlike what Hanzo remembered as a child. The nest had been replaced by a bed with one pillow and a thin sheet, no signs of any additional fluff or comforts. There was a door leading to a closet, and one to a bathroom. The window had been covered over with a blackout curtain. The only other pieces of furniture were a lone wardrobe beside the bed, and a small black table at the foot of the bed.

Genji and his Father were sitting on cushions on either side of the table and Hanzo stepped forward to sit beside his brother.

He noted the look on Sojiro’s face, how the man looked as if he had aged twenty years in two minutes.

Hanzo did not care, “Speak,” he said firmly, “what is this ‘secret’?”

The elder man hummed slowly and took a deep breath. “Do you remember what I told you long ago? The story of how your father died?”

The question did not seem surprising, despite having not been brought up in decades, “Assassination.”

“Correct. What I failed to tell you was that…I was the one who killed him, to try and save you and Genji from his wrath.”

Hanzo furrowed his brows, “Father tried to kill us? Why?”

“Because in my youthful arrogance, I did something exceedingly foolish. Something that put all of us at a grave risk,” Sojiro took another deep breath and pain shone in his eyes, “And yet,” he looked to Genji, “I still do not regret my actions.” He shook his head and turned his eyes down to the table, then began to speak…

_ I was twenty-five when my father had me wed to Goyo. He was an Alpha who was neither kind nor cruel. During our first heat together he marked me and bred me. Despite our lack of love for one another, there was some level of affection there. After we were done I became pregnant with you, Hanzo. _

_ Goyo assured that I was given every luxury I could need to keep me comfortable. He insisted that I take no work, that I remain entirely without stress. Among those comforts, he gave me my own chambers. Again, there was no love between us and I did not begrudge his decision. He had guards stationed at my door to ensure my safety, as both of our families had many enemies that would take advantage of a Dragon in a compromising situation. _

_ One of those guards who guarded my room each night was a Beta, Ichirou. He had no understanding of necessary boundaries, but he was sweet and caring. On my restless nights he would slip into my room and we would talk for hours. On nights when I felt ill he would run his fingers through my hair. Goyo had no interest in your development beyond knowing that you were healthy, Hanzo, but Ichirou was the one who held his hand to my belly when you were causing me…discomfort. _

_ And when I went into labor, he was the one there to hold my hand through it. Goyo only came the morning after to deem that I had given him a strong child. He was not upset that you were Omega. No, most Dragon firstborns are Omega. But he told me that he would give me a year to rest and bond with you before we would breed again, and I was expected to give him an Alpha next. _

_ He kissed me on the head and held you for a few minutes before he left again. Ichirou returned shortly after. _

_ Goyo felt no threat from Ichirou, he was just a Beta after all. When I asked if Ichirou could be my personal guard, Goyo gave his assent easily. He told me that he wanted the mother of his children to be happy. I maintain that Goyo was not a  _ bad _ man. _

_ Ichirou and I grew closer. With him as my personal guard, nobody questioned why he was always at my side. He showered you with love and gifts, and you always smiled and calmed for him. _

_ My Heat began when you were eight months. I wanted so badly to spend it with Ichirou, but instead I insisted that he take care of you while I was indisposed. _

_ When the year had passed, Goyo said that he would breed me on my next Heat. Despite my growing love for Ichirou, I found that I did not mind. You made me so happy, Hanzo. You were my pride and joy, and there was nothing in the world that could compare to your smile. _

_ Before my Heat came, Goyo was sent away on duty in northern Japan. He knew he would be gone for a long time, looking over the start of a new foothold for his family’s syndicate. He deemed it too dangerous for me, and that we would breed when he returned. _

_ Six months turned to a year, and Goyo showed no signs of returning any time soon. Ichirou and I had long since begun sleeping together with no concern of being caught. When I went into Heat, he spent it with me as you were old enough to be looked after by a trusted caretaker. _

_ We were foolish, and did not take the necessary precautions. I had figured that only Goyo could impregnate me, as he was the one who marked me. I had believed my body would only accept him. When I discovered I had become pregnant, I panicked. Goyo was not a bad man, but any Alpha would be enraged to find out his mate was heavy with another’s child, a Beta’s at that. _

_ I hid my pregnancy from everyone but Ichirou. He saw that I was taken care of, and I dreaded the day that Goyo returned. _

_ But he didn’t. Goyo was gone through my entire pregnancy, and I gave birth to Genji with only Ichirou to help me. Genji was small and frail, he did not cry or fuss. Ichirou and I worried over his health, but did not trust anyone enough to go seek immediate help. _

_ I begged Ichirou to take Genji and flee before Goyo returned. We had been blessed that we were not caught, but I did not wish to press our luck further. Ichirou refused to leave me though. If only he had… _

_ I had not known Goyo had returned a few weeks after Genji’s birth. Ichirou had been getting us food from the kitchen, but when he did not return I went to find him. What I found was his body, run through, his blood still warm. The killer was not present, but I knew no other person who would have reason to kill my beloved. _

_ I gave myself no time to mourn, I turned and ran for my room, to find you and Genji and flee before it was too late. _

_ Goyo was in our room. His knife was still bloody as he looked over Genji in his pram. I threw myself at Goyo’s feet and begged him but my Alpha had no mercy in his eyes when he swore he would take all the joys from my life. He would kill my bastard first, then he would kill you, Hanzo. He knew nothing meant more to me than my children. _

_ So when Goyo turned to cut down Genji in his crib, I summoned my dragon to slay him. _

_ I had lost my love, my mate, but I refused to lose either of you. _

Sojiro’s story finished and the room fell silent. Hanzo digested what he had heard for a few long minutes before bitter words came to his tongue, “With such a tale, I would think you to be sympathetic to my plight, Father.”

The man did not look up from where his eyes remained fixed on the table before him, “Had I been less foolish, Hanzo, then Goyo and Ichirou both would still be alive. I caused everyone needless suffering when I would have been happy and taken care of. I almost lost you both…”

“If you are expecting me to be sympathetic then you will be disappointed!” He turned his eyes to Genji briefly, then glared back to his father. “And what does this have to do with why Genji cannot be the one to continue the family line?”

Sojiro sighed heavily, “Dragons have always been born between Alpha and Omega. They are born of pure, strong family lines. Ichirou was a Beta, with no family line worthy of the Dragons. Genji was lucky beyond measure to have been granted a spirit, but his offspring will not be pure Dragons. They may not even be Dragons at all. The Shimada line is centuries old, we are among the oldest families in Japan. You are of pure blood.”

Hanzo scoffed indelicately, hands fisting in his lap, “I do not believe you. Genji is your favored, he is the one born to you from love. I was born out of duty, and from the man who killed your lover. If you  _ truly _ loved me, or understood my plight, you would have let me and Jesse be.”

“Hanzo!” His father’s head snapped up, fire in his eyes, “How dare you, I love you more than you can understand!”

“Is that why you are having me  _ sedated _ to make me more  _ amenable _ to being raped on my wedding night?!” Hanzo’s voice topped a shout as he slammed his hands on the table.

Sojiro startled and stared with wide, guilty eyes. “I… I had only meant…”

“To sell me away like a pet so you could protect Genji. To groom me to be a proper Omega for whatever Alpha you gave me to.  _ TELL ME I AM WRONG.” _

“You  _ are _ wrong! I want nothing more than to end this cycle, and Genji himself has asked me if he can take your place. But if he does not birth a Dragon then they will kill him!” Sojiro took a few short breaths, “You two are  _ everything _ to me. It is why I let your Alpha live after what he did. It is why he still lives! I know the pain of losing a mate to death and I would give my own life to ensure you never feel that dark depression swallowing you.”

“Why did you tell Genji this story and not me? Why did you make him swear not to tell me?”

“Because,” Genji’s voice was quiet, “because father feared that you would see us as unequal.”

“Because we  _ are _ unequal!” Hanzo was quick to snap, “Genji, born from love, a reminder of the lover you lost. And me? Born from duty, a reminder of—“

“Me,” his father cut in quickly, “yes, Genji reminds me a great deal of Ichirou. But you do not remind me of Goyo, Hanzo. You remind me of myself. So much so that it hurts. Please do not think that I look at you differently than I do your brother.”

“But you do,” Hanzo pressed. He only then noticed the fresh tears falling from his eyes, mirrored by his father’s.

“You can think this as much as you want, but perhaps one day you will understand. I have made every assurance that the Alpha you go to will be gentle and kind. He will be  _ good _ to you. You will be allowed a life of happiness, and like myself, nothing will make you happier than your children. You are a strong man, Hanzo. You would not let any Alpha mistreat you, and I ensured that you understood that.”

“You ensured I was well trained, and properly groomed,” Hanzo’s venom was diluted by the waver in his voice.

Sojiro shifted and pulled himself to stand. He stepped around the table and resettled directly beside Hanzo. The elder reached out and gently pulled his son’s stiff body into his arms, not deterred as he took his boy into a hug that they had not shared since they were both much  younger. “When Genji was still just a baby, you gave me a horrible scare one night. You had climbed out of your crib and tried to crawl into Genji’s, but you fell and hit the ground. It woke me up, and I was terrified that you had really hurt yourself. You cried as I held you, wailed endlessly, woke your brother who started crying as well. Neither of you would calm until I picked Genji up and held you both.

“When I returned you to your cribs you both began to cry again. This kept up until I finally put you both in the same crib. After that, you both refused to sleep soundly without the other present. When I tried to separate you when you two were older, it took weeks before I stopped waking to find you crammed in bed with Genji,” Sojiro shook his head and gave a weak, watery laugh, “I got very little sleep during those weeks.”

Hanzo had lost his ability to speak. He longed for the energy to shove his father away and yell at him more. Anger boiled just beneath the surface, but the submission of his father had overwhelmed him with shock and nostalgia.

“You will always return to the ones you love most, Hanzo,” the man continued.

A gentle nudge on his other side revealed Genji pressing close, curling around and nosing into Hanzo’s neck. His own arm came around and pulled his brother closer, and he felt Sojiro’s arm mimic the gesture with both of his boys.

The comfort and closeness was enough to dispel the waves of anger that had been burning. Hanzo felt that rage slipping away like sand beneath his fingers, and slowly, piece by piece, Hanzo Shimada broke down into tears yet again.

* * *

It was late when his boys left. Sojiro saw that Hanzo’s heart was still heavy, that he was far from forgiving his father. That was alright, though. He knew his eldest had every reason to be upset, and that he would be too. He had hurt his child deeply, and his heart ached to see his son so torn apart.

He knew it was a mistake to allow Hanzo to continue contact with the McCree boy. He should have put a stop to it when he first found out, but when he saw the light return to his child’s eyes he found himself utterly helpless but to silently allow it. How many nights had Sojiro spent having whispered conversations with Ichirou when he knew their relationship could end at a moment’s notice.

But Hanzo had fled earlier that day, and Sojiro knew it was only a matter of time before he did so again. It was only a matter of time before McCree came for Hanzo, and Sojiro’s hand would be forced. He had been lucky that Genji had found his brother, but he knew that if Hanzo wanted to slip away into the shadows, he could.

Sojiro returned to his office and settled down into his chair hesitantly.

He turned his computer on and stared at the blue screen for a long moment before he reached out and pressed a button to page his head guard. Less than a minute passed before his office door slid open and a well-dressed man stepped inside, back straight, suit-and-tie impeccable. “My Lord,” the man greeted with a deep tone.

“I…” Sojiro paused and the man before him noted his hesitation. The elder cleared his throat before continuing, “I want Hanzo watched at all times. He is not to leave the Castle without a double-escort. Ensure that we know where he is and what he is doing at all times.”

The guard did not question his orders, and instead fell into a deep bow, “My Lord, it shall be done. Is there anything else?”

Sojiro shook his head, “No, dismissed.”

The man straightened back up and nodded, then turned and took his leave. The door closed behind him and Sojiro sat back. The guilt already felt crushing.

Finally he reached out and pulled up his contact list, skimming down until he found the one he needed next. He tapped the contact and a call initiated on his screen. White dots flashed lazily as the connection was initiated.

When the video flared to life, it showed the face of a tired looking American man against a dark morning sky. The man’s face was round and his jaw wild with an unkempt beard. “Mr. Kimura,” the man greeted in a sleepy drawl, the name a codename to ensure anonymity, “It has been quite a while.”

“Indeed it has. What is the status of the McCree boy?” he refused any idle conversation, his English clipped and heavily accented.

His contact yawned and scratched the back of his neck, “Alive, just like you asked.”

“Good. However, I need that to change,” he dropped his voice even though he knew there was no need. “I want him dead by the end of the day tomorrow.  _ Ensure _ that it looks like an accident. I will transfer seventy-five thousand US dollars once it is done.”

His contact just hummed, and Sojiro expected the man to question or protest. It was strange that the man who had been paying to make sure McCree was safe was now the same man ordering his execution. Instead, however, his contact shrugged, “A’right. It’ll be done. Anything else, Mr. Kimura?”

Sojiro was about to say no, but he paused and turned his eyes away briefly in thought. Finally he looked back, “Have his belongings sent to me after it is done. I will pay whatever fees necessary.”

“Okay then. One dead kid and a bag of clothes comin’ right up. Pleasure doin’ business with ya…”

Sojiro ended the call and braced his mouth on his fist.

He knew he did not deserve forgiveness.

* * *

Jesse startled awake to the sound of his phone as he always did. He grabbed the device from his pocket, pulling himself up onto his elbow as he answered the call. Worry had made him restless throughout the night – he had heard nothing from Hanzo most of the previous day until he got a text late that night. “Well g’mornin Sweetness, I wasn’t sure—“ he heard the sound of sniffling before he caught sight of his mate’s glassy eyes and puffy cheeks. Alarm spiked in his chest, “Darlin’ what’s wrong?”

Hanzo caught Jesse’s eyes with his own and opened his mouth to answer, but whatever words he was going to speak shattered into broken sobs. The Alpha jerked fully upright and found himself at a loss of what to do or say. At a loss for words, the man just tipped his head down and pulled the phone closer, growling a low sound into the receiver.

It was an awkward angle to watch from, but he saw Hanzo pull his own phone closer before setting it down in his nest to curl around it. Jesse got a good view of his mate’s ceiling, but focused on the soft, choked gasps that came from Hanzo’s crying.

It took several minutes Hanzo could manage words, “I…I am sorry… Today has been difficult.”

Jesse’s throat felt raw and he had to clear it twice before he could speak without coughing, “Don’t you apologize, beautiful. Are you… What happened?” He wondered on what could make his strong Omega cry like that, he feared whatever he might hear as a pit formed in his stomach.

Hanzo let out a little whine and for a moment Jesse wasn’t sure he would answer. “I…” he huffed loudly and pulled his phone closer again, “I overheard my father this morning talking about the plans for the wedding. What I can only assume was the Alpha’s father was on the phone with my own father. They spoke of me like I was an animal being sold away. The Alpha asked if his son could wed Genji instead and my father refused, then agreed to have me sedated after the wedding to assure I cannot resist.”

“What?!” Jesse snapped and snarled loudly. He took a deep breath and tamped down the rage in his chest, “Nah, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be there before the wedding, gonna get you outta there and you won’t have to worry anymore.”

Hanzo let out another desperate sound, “I don’t want to be here anymore Jesse. After what I heard, I ran. I had no intention of returning. Except, if I ran, I would have no way to contact you.”

Jesse swallowed as he realized that Hanzo was trapped because of him. His mind spun as he tried to scramble together ideas on what he needed to do to speed up his plans.

“That’s not all, though,” Hanzo’s voice was soft and cracked, drawing Jesse’s attention again. “Genji found me and insisted we return to the Castle. He said there was something Father needed to tell me.” He took a shaking breath, “Genji and I are from two different fathers. Our dear father had an affair with the Alpha he was wed to. He explained to me that this is why I have to be the one to carry the line,” bitterness laced the man’s tone, “I was born from duty to a man my father did not love. And Genji was born of an affair, and has whatever he wants.”

Jesse frowned, “That’s not Genji’s fault, though.”

“No, but he knew! He knew and he kept it from me for years. He and Father both…” the Omega choked another soft sob, “Of course Father would tell his favored son.”

Nothing good could come of that train of thought, Jesse knew that, but Hanzo was so deep in his suffering he didn’t know the best way to stop it. So he decided to shift the topic, “I’ll sell my bike…fuck, I’ll sell my truck too.”

“What?” Hanzo seemed distracted and confused, reaching down to adjust his phone and prop it up so Jesse could see his mate’s teary face. His heart broke anew, and his resolve strengthened.

“I can’t afford a rush ticket right this second, but I’ll sell my bike and truck to the first decent offer I get and be on the first plane to Japan I can afford. Maybe I’ll even get enough that we can have a bit left over. Point is, I can be there by the end of the week if I play my cards right.”

“…Jesse…”

“I’m not gonna go any longer without bein’ there with you. You think you can hold it together for a few more days? Play the part, act nice for your dad ‘n brother,” he felt determination swelling in his chest and delighted to see something spark in Hanzo’s eyes as well.

“I…yes,” he shifted up somewhat, a fragile smile pulling at his lips.

“A’right then. Don’t you worry darlin’, I’ll be there for you as soon as I can.”

Hanzo appeared to latch onto his mate’s zeal, his smile strengthening, “Thank you, my Alpha…”

* * *

Gabriel’s phone chirped from the breast pocket of his jacket. He had dozed off in one of the bunk rooms on the compound, still fully dressed. He heard several groans as he fished his phone from his pocket, “Shut that thing up,” someone groaned from the darkness beside him.

The man just huffed a quiet chuckle as he rejected the call coming through from Aries and sat up. Navigating the room in the dark was a test of memory, and he eventually found the door and slipped out into the warehouse proper. He crossed to the bay doors and walked out into the cool morning. He dipped his head in a polite nod as he passed by Tucker, a round-faced man who desperately needed a shave and a haircut.

“Mornin’ Gabe,” the man gave a little wave and seemed to be in good spirits for such an ungodly hour.

The man grunted, “Fuck off…” He got a laugh in response.

Once Tucker was far behind him, Gabriel pulled his phone back out and redialed Aries, the AI picking up immediately, “Good morning, Commander.”

“You took longer than expected,” he stated simply.

“The encryption codes were far more complex than anticipated. I have, however, isolated a video conversation that you may find to be valuable.”

“Play it.”

“As you wish.”

The screen automatically changed over to a dual-video feed, half of the screen showing Jesse and the other half showing a rather attractive young Japanese man. Jesse managed to land one hell of a beauty, and judging by the dopey look on the Alpha’s face, he knew it.

The Omega was smiling, leaned in close to his phone, “Good morning, my Alpha…”

Jesse let out a long, lazy hum, “What a good mornin’ it is, Sweetness. How was your day?”

The other shrugged, “The usual. I had lessons most of the day. I tried texting you while I was having dinner with my brother. But  _ you _ didn’t respond!”

Jesse let out a little sound and started swiping at his phone, “Sweetness, you texted me at…two in the morning!”

“Still!” the man’s mate let out a little huff and Gabriel could see that this one was used to getting whatever he wanted. The haughty air faded after a moment, however, and the Omega started giggling, “I did not expect you to reply. I was simply bored and Genji was going on about some Beta he is considering for his next Heat.”

Genji… Gabriel’s brows shot up.

“Man, him having a Heat every other month must suck.”

“Don’t you go into Rut about that often?” the other asked.

Jesse shrugged, “I mean, before you ‘n I? Yeah. Since I got back from Japan though, I haven’t had one.”

“J…Jesse! That does not sound healthy. You should go see a doctor.”

“Oh yeah, lemme just find a doc out here in bumfuck nowhere who takes Deadlock insurance.”

“Do not get sarcastic with me, Jesse McCree,” the Omega huffed again, “I’m simply concerned for your health.”

“Don’t you worry Hanzo, my dick is in  _ fine _ working condition.”

Gabriel’s jaw dropped minutely, “Freeze the video,” he instructed and the feed stopped instantly. “Aries, run facial recognition on the Omega.”

“I have already done so. All of my data confirms that the man in this video is Hanzo Shimada. First son and Heir to the Shimada Empire,” Aries’ voice was cool and calm as ever.

Gabriel just  _ stared _ at the video, eyes darting between Hanzo and Jesse. He wasn’t sure what to think, honestly. Jesse McCree was  _ mated _ to Hanzo Shimada?  _ Hanzo Fucking Shimada _ . The thought ran circles in his head for a minute and he stared so long that his phone went dark.

“Commander?” Aries queried.

“What the  _ actual _ shit. How in the  _ fuck _ did Jesse McCree mate with the Heir to the largest drug Empire in the eastern hemisphere? There’s a goddamn story there, and one I’m  _ very _ interested to hear.” He reached a hand up and scrubbed along his jaw idly, “That explains why he’s so tight-lipped about Japan though.”

“Commander, you are talking to yourself again.”

“No, I’m talking to you.”

“You have provided me no inquiries to which I am capable of answering.”

Gabriel just groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Alright. Well, now I have enough answers to know that Jesse’s all I need to get a hook into Shimada. Aries, contact Amari and have her rally the squad. Tell her I’m ready to close up shop – we’ll do a clean sweep at 1800.  _ Tonight. _ ”

“Of course, Commander.”

Gabriel hung up the call and slipped his phone into his pocket and looked over to the blue truck over by the edge of the cliff. From his vantage he could see Jesse’s silhouette and the soft glow from his phone as he spoke to someone.

No, not someone.

Hanzo Shimada.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter yet by a country mile.
> 
> This chapter is also very special to me. Please let me know what you think about this one. Much love and thank you to all of my readers for all of your love and support. <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a huge thanks to DickTrickle and BananaButtStuff for their awesome work and support in Betaing this story. I love you two so much <3
> 
> In other news...  
> Brace yourselves...

Jesse’s heart was heavy that morning as he said goodbye to his bike. Down in Albuquerque it was easy to find someone willing to buy the old girl for a low price. He didn’t have time to haggle for anything near what she was worth, and it pained him so to have to give her up for what felt like a handful of credits, but it was more than enough to get himself a last minute ticket to Japan, and that was all that mattered.

The man who bought her was a few years older than Jesse who worked for a motor shop. At least he was someone who would take good care of her. Jesse gave the girl one more affectionate pat on her handlebar before he stepped away, “Well, I hope she does you well. She’s been good to me so far, so…”

The other man just smiled, “Don’t worry, she’s in good hands. I’m just shocked you’re practically giving her away.”

“Er,” the Alpha rubbed the back of his neck, “like I said, family emergency. I needed a fistful of credits real fast ‘n she’s about all I have that’s valuable. Anyway, I’m off.” He took a step back and waved before turning back to the gates around the small parking lot that they had made the exchange in. In the Northeast side of Albuquerque, the neighborhoods were nice and he didn’t have to worry about wandering around while he waited for Gabriel to come pick him up.

He was just thankful the man had business in the city that morning.

Jesse wandered down the city street, hands in his pockets as he looked over the storefronts. All he had to do was wait for Gabriel to be done with whatever he was doing and he’d be one step closer to Hanzo. His heart twisted excitedly in his chest as he thought about it, about the credits in his account and how he’d have Hanzo back in his arms by the end of the week.

Passing by a strip mall he slipped under the awning and passed several stores before dropping himself on a bench. He pulled out his phone and flicked it on, the screen unlocking to a picture of his mate that pulled a wide smile on his face. He opened a web browser and pulled up a booking site, filling out his information. For the trip, Jesse would use one of his old Deadlock aliases, Jay Jones, just to be careful.

He pulled up several flights and found one leaving on Saturday in the afternoon. It would be a long trip, but it was the soonest flight he could realistically make. He didn’t even wince at the price for such a short notice flight. He paid and took a deep breath, then smirked and took a screencap the flight information and sent it to Hanzo.

Jesse was surprised when he got a message just a few minutes later from his mate, knowing how late it was for him. 

[H: You’re going to be here soon. I cannot wait.]

[J: It was the soonest flight I could get that wasn’t booked up.]

[H: How did you afford it? I thought you were still saving.]

[J: Sold my bike. Don’t worry, I don’t have any need for it now anyway. Not like I can take it to Japan.]

[H: What a shame. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to ride on a motorcycle.]

Jesse grinned. [J: It’s a lot like riding me, fast and loud.]

[H: And needs to refuel after 20 minutes?]

[J: Ow, my ego.] He paused a few minutes, then huffed. [J: To be fair you were milking me dry like a man possessed. My balls are only so big, Sweetness.]

[H: Do not worry, I quite like your balls.]

[J: I recall. You sucked on them enough.]

His phone pinged with a new message from Gabriel. He flipped over to the man’s message and typed his location for the man, turning on the internal GPS to let himself be found. By the time he went back to his messages with Hanzo he had a new one waiting.

[H: I told you, you are the first Alpha I got to be with. I had fun exploring.]

[J: I’m far from complaining. Once I get there you can explore all you want, no Heat to make you feel hurried.]

[H: So you’re really coming?]

[J: Flight leaves Saturday. Day after tomorrow. 17 hour flight but then I’m there.]

[H: Where do we go after that?]

[J: Dunno. Figure we do our best to lay low, get out of Japan and carve out a little place for ourselves.]

[H: We could be caught.]

“Hey  _ cabrón _ , get in!” Gabriel’s sharp voice had Jesse’s head snapping up to look at the man seated in the cab of his truck. Gabriel had the window rolled down and was waiting with an impatient look on his face.

Jesse got to his feet and jogged to the truck, quickly pulling himself inside, “You in a rush ‘er something?” the younger asked as he leaned against the door and crossed his legs. Gabriel had already put the truck into drive and was moving towards the street, his jaw set and his eyes narrowed. Jesse frowned, “Who pissed in your cheerios?”

“Nobody. You drove yourself here, why couldn’t you just drive yourself back? Bike at the shop ‘er something?”

Jesse raised his brow, scenting the air. The older Alpha was wound tight, but his scent was oddly calm. He shook his head, “Sold ‘er. Needed quick dosh.”

The man did a double take, frowning, “What? Why?”

The younger couldn’t help the wide grin, figuring Gabriel would be happy to know, “I’m takin’ your advice. Just…promise not to tell anyone? I got a flight, leaves the day after tomorrow, gonna go get my mate and get away from all the shit.” He closed his eyes as he thought about reuniting with Hanzo, thought about wrapping his arms around the Omega and holding him close, “Gonna make a home for the two of us…”

Gabriel hit the brakes a little too hard as they neared a red light and Jesse nearly toppled into the dashboard. “Put yer damn belt on,” the older man scoffed, but remained silent about what Jesse had said.

“Gabe, yer wound up tight man. What’s eatin’ you so hard?”

“ _ Nothing _ . I…” he sighed, “I’m happy for you  _ Niño _ . That…takes guts.” He took a deep breath and leaned back, his grip on the steering wheel tightening briefly as he thought about something, “I’m just having a tough time. Been a while since I’ve seen Jack. I talked to him last night, got me a bit agitated.”

Jesse blinked and nodded, feeling like he understood, “Oh.”

“ _ Niño… _ I feel like I need to ask you something. Before you go, at least.” Silence hung in the air for a long moment before Gabriel pushed forward, “What happened in Japan?”

The younger immediately felt himself frowning. He wondered why Gabriel was bringing it up, why he wanted to know. He thought about Hanzo, about the last text his mate had sent him. One wrong move and everything could go to hell, and Jesse didn’t want to risk it, even with Gabriel. He shook his head, “It’s…not interesting. Went there for business, got into some trouble and had to stay behind.”

“Why won’t you tell me,  Jesse?”

“Why do you wanna know?” he felt suddenly defensive.

“Because I’m your friend. Something happened in Japan. From everything I can gather, nobody knew you were an Alpha before you went. I’m assuming you met your mate there.”

Jesse felt his inner Alpha rising up for the first time in a while, a fire bubbling under the skin of his chest, “It’s none of your business. A man’s gotta have secrets doesn’t he? I know you got yours an’ I respect that, so  _ respect mine. _ ” He looked down at his phone and at the last message Hanzo had sent him. He tapped out a quick reply.

[J: Don’t worry. I’d rather die than miss that flight. I’ll be there and we can figure the rest out together.]

“I’m just worried for you Jesse. You came back from Japan pretty busted up, physically and mentally. You’re a good kid, I’m not exactly thrilled to think you’re going back there alone.”

Jesse froze for a moment, feeling himself frown, his breath shallow, “I  _ never _ said I was going to Japan.”

Gabriel seemed to realize his mistake, dark eyes darting to Jesse, “I’m assuming, Jesse. You went to Japan, everyone thought you were a Beta, you come back and suddenly everyone knows you’re an Alpha, you’ve got a mating mark you can barely cover. Seems pretty obvious that you met your mate in Japan, which means that’s where you’re likely going to get them.”

Jesse was silent for a long moment, brows furrowed as he thought. The reasoning was sound, but at the same time he could  _ feel _ that there was something more that he wasn’t being told, “Did I make a mistake tellin’ you I was leavin’?” His hand went down to his hip, fingers ghosting over the empty spot where his gun would normally be. He didn’t like the idea of threatening a friend, especially someone with a mate, but…

But if Gabriel stood between him and Hanzo…

“I’m not going to tell anyone, Jesse,” Gabriel said simply, and the younger could still feel something secretive in the words.

“You love Jack, don’t you?”

“More than anything in this world,” the Alpha’s response was easy and honest.

“And what would you do if someone stood between you and him, if someone tried to keep you two forced apart?” The fire in his chest had spread, his agitation and suspicion rolling off of him in waves.

“Whatever it took. Kill if I had to, hell I’d kill a thousand people if I had to.”

Jesse swallowed and nodded, “Exactly.” The threat was thinly veiled, but Gabriel quieted after that. If Jesse knew one thing, it was that Gabriel loved his mate as much as Jesse loved his. They were Alphas, but it was that mutual love for their mates that had Jesse trust the other man as much as he did. It was something they shared, something deep that they both understood.

* * *

By the time they got back to Route 66, Jesse jumped out of Gabriel’s truck and left the man behind without a word. He was still uneasy about their exchange and didn’t want to dwell on it. Instead he threw himself into work, wanting to make the day pass by faster. The sooner he got to Saturday, the better.

Hanzo must have fallen asleep, because he didn’t text Jesse back after he got into the car with Gabriel. He knew it was late for his mate, but it didn’t change the tight knot of anxiety coiled in his chest at the thought of how close he was to getting to see his mate again. His mind was a constant, steady mantra of Hanzo and their memories.

He thought back to being in Hanamura, tucked into Hanzo’s nest, scenting and cradling his mate. He thought about the scent of Hanzo’s hair, the feel of his skin, the sound of his voice. He thought about how their reunion would go – Jesse feeling like a hero when Hanzo threw himself into the Alpha’s arms.

They would go somewhere safe. Somewhere far away from Deadlock and Shimadas. Maybe Canada. Perhaps Amsterdam. Someplace nobody would think to look for them. Jesse would build them a home, small at first, something simple, where they could sleep comfortably at night wrapped in each other.

He would put a pup in Hanzo’s belly, give them both a little one to share and love. He knew how much Hanzo wanted one, remembered his eyes lit up at the thought. Hanzo would be such a good parent, strong and nurturing. 

Their pup could sleep between them at night, Jesse could make them a pram.

He wondered about a name, something to pay homage to both of their families. And what about a Surname? Obviously they couldn’t take Shimada without drawing unwanted attention.

“McCree!” the sharp bark of the name coupled with a sudden slap to his shoulder were enough to snap the Alpha out of his woolgathering. He looked up and found Tucker’s plump face staring down at him, beard trying to eat his face, “I said I need yer help, kid.”

“Oh…uh, sorry,” Jesse straightened. He had been unloading boxes from one of the vans that had come in earlier in the day, “Was just thinkin’ about stuff.”

“Had yer head up yer ass, more like,” the man scoffed sharply, “So far up there you couldn’t hear me shoutin’ yer name.”

Jesse huffed his displeasure and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t argue though, no use in starting a fight when he would be gone soon enough. He hopped out of the back of the van and shoved his hands in his pockets as Tucker lead him towards the crate-racks lining the warehouse walls. It was tall, reaching to the ceiling, loaded with large metal crates.

Tucker shoved a datapad into Jesse’s hands, “Boss called me out to do some real work, but we got a new shipment in yesterday. Make sure everything’s marked and logged.”

More grunt work. Jesse frowned but shrugged, “Fine. Go have fun.” He didn’t care. Nothing could make him care.

Tucker turned and started walking away, Jesse only watched him as far as the first corner and turned back to the crates. He sighed and flicked on the datapad, pulling up the logging details, trying his hardest to focus on the task. Yet it was so hard to ignore the thoughts that floated through his mind. Happy thoughts, hopes and desires.

_ Yuki _ . He wondered if Hanzo would like that name for a girl. Something soft and sweet like he knew their imaginary child would be. She would be so quiet and gentle, she would smile so easily for her parents. She would have Hanzo’s gorgeous black hair and stunning golden-brown eyes, a heartbreaker for damn sure.

He thought about their home growing over time, slowly getting as Jesse worked on it.

He had stopped paying attention to his work completely, only making motions of looking up at the crates and down at the datapad as he walked along the shelves. So wrapped up in his daydreams, he didn’t see Tucker walk back in, didn’t see the malicious intent in the man’s eyes…

It was an unholy crack that startled Jesse out of his thoughts. At first he thought it had been gunfire, he jerked upright and looked around the space which was suddenly very empty. He was alone in the warehouse.

It was a thought that he had little time to process before the groan of straining metal met his ears. He spun around and saw one of the upper racks buckle, collapsed onto the shelf beneath starting a chain reaction. Between one second and the next, the world went from slow-motion to suddenly far too fast. The whole of the shelves were cracking and collapsing, the crates displaced and shuddering forward.

Jesse let out a curse as he dropped the datapad and sought the quickest escape route. He was too far from either end of the racks to escape the fall of the crates.

He started running for cover before his mind even registered what he was running for. The first shriek of metal hitting concrete was only a few feet behind him, and in a moment of panicked instinct he dove and scrambled beneath one of the forklifts parked nearby.

Suddenly the world erupted in cacophony, the crashes and booms like bombs going off, shaking the ground beneath him. Some of the crates smashed down onto the vehicle the Alpha was sheltered beneath, shaking the whole thing and sending it shuddering, the pressure above him growing as the forklift buckled heavily under the sudden onslaught.

The sounds continued for what felt like eons before slowly rumbling to a stop, the final crash sounding with a slow, pained finality. The world went very quiet around him compared to the sounds from just a moment before, Jesse lay trembling, flat on his stomach, hands over his head as he tried to determine whether or not he was actually alive. 

Jesse might have passed out., he couldn’t tell. His eyes were closed tight and his mind was a frantic haze of static and panic. He only registered that the silence had filtered away into murmurs. Voices, several of them. He couldn’t tell from where exactly, only that they were all blurred together.

It wasn’t until he heard a familiar voice and a familiar name that he started to untangle the mess of sound into individual words and voices. Gabriel. Gabriel’s voice calling out, echoing in the space of the warehouse, “Jesse! Jess…  _ Niño _ !” There was something in the tone, a pained mixture of hope and defeat all at once.

Jesse tried to find his voice, his first few attempts coming out as trembling little whines and huffs of breath as he tried to get enough air. Finally he managed, “G-Ga… Gabe…” He was scared to move, if he was being honest with himself.

The calls died down, the murmuring continued. Jesse whined again.

He forced his eyes open and saw the carnage of twisted metal and strewn weapons around him. The cases had contained guns and ammo primarily, the crates themselves warped and broken open. The forklift had been twisted under the weight of the crates, but it had held enough to keep Jesse alive at least.

As the Alpha reached out, he spotted an open space near one of the tires where he could safely crawl out. He moved towards it, heard the tinkling of loose shells and ammo cases skitter across the cracked concrete around him. By the time he reached the opening he could see out enough to know that the world did indeed still exist, that the danger seemed to have passed. He tried again, “Gabe…?” His voice was still weak, his mind and body still heavily rattled.

“Jesse?!” The man’s shocked voice was enough to let the younger know he’d been heard at least. The relief was enough to get him crawling through the opening of his little haven.

“M’here,” he called as he dragged himself across the floor and out into the small open space between the fallen crates.

He could hear a new sound, loud thumping that got closer. He looked up to see Gabriel’s figure clambering over the fallen crates, dropping down next to Jesse. Suddenly the young Alpha was being hauled up into strong arms, his legs barely able to find purchase beneath himself as he registered a strong body pressed against him, the Alpha’s scent so close, blotting out the dust and fear kicked up by the event.

It was all Jesse could do to wrap his arms around Gabriel’s shoulders, holding him tight, trying to keep his breathing in check as the trembling started up again.

“You’re alright Jesse,” Gabriel’s voice was a low, comforting sound. “Are you hurt?”

Jesse was ashamed to admit that he didn’t know. He took a moment to try and get a full breath, “I…I think so…” He wasn’t in any major pain – his head hurt but everything seemed to be working alright.

“Good. You’re a strong kid, that was some quick thinking. Might just be in a mild shock. Come on,” Gabriel stood and lifted Jesse like the younger weighed nothing, “Let’s get you outside. Some fresh air should help.”

Jesse was aware that the two were moving, that Gabriel was taking him away from the avalanche of twisted metal and weapons, but all he wanted to focus on was the scent filling him. It wasn’t exotic or enticing like Hanzo’s had been, but it was powerful and grounding, familiar and strong. He forgot about their earlier argument, about his momentary distrust of the other man, and his hesitation.

He buried his face into Gabriel’s neck, over the man’s mating mark where the scent was nearly overwhelming. He knew Gabriel’s scent, but having never met the man’s mate, he didn’t know which part was Gabriel and which was Jack. He could still barely tell it was two scents.

A gust of wind picked up as they stepped out into the gorge that cooled Jesse’s back. Fresh air mixed with the elder Alpha’s scent and suddenly the world felt a lot more whole again. Piece by piece he felt his mind coming back together, along with a sudden realization that he was clinging to Gabriel like a frightened child.

He lifted his head and squirmed, feeling himself be let down. With solid ground beneath his feet the trembling in his body was beginning to subside, “Th…thanks…” he managed and reached up to rub the back of his neck.

“No problem,  _ Niño _ ,” Gabriel rested a hand on Jesse’s shoulder, then hummed, “What happened?”

For a long moment Jesse struggled to put the pieces back together, “I was unloadin’ a delivery from one of the vans. Tucker pulled me off and told me to do some inventory. I… I was distracted, one of the shelves collapsed and everything went down from there.”

Gabriel rumbled a low sound, “That was a lot of damage for just one shelf caving in,” he commented.

“I…dunno. It all happened real fast.”

“Who else was there? Should we be looking for anyone else?” Gabriel looked up from the dusty path just outside of the warehouse to the behemoth doubledoors leading back inside. Jesse followed the man’s eyes, saw nearly all of Deadlock milling around, trying to get a look at the damages.

“No,” Jesse furrowed his brow as he came to realize, “I was by myself. There were at least ten other people around when I started, but the warehouse was empty when everything started goin’ pear-shaped.”

Another low hum as Gabriel considered the information. He turned back to the warehouse doors for a moment, then glanced back at Jesse, “That was way too destructive and convenient to be an accident. I need you to head to my truck, alright? Wait there while this shit gets sorted out. People are gonna start asking a lot of questions, I have a feeling you shouldn’t be the center of their attention.”

Jesse swallowed hard. His whole body still felt uneasy and jittery. The idea of being questioned and having people’s attention on him was as unpleasant as it was unnerving. He nodded, “A’right. That…sounds good. Thanks…” He reached up when Gabriel dug his keys out of his pocket.

Jesse accepted the keys and stepped back. Gabriel’s hand fell from his shoulder but the man paused, “Listen to me Jesse,” he pointed, “I need you to do me a favor and  _ keep your head down. _ ” He turned and walked back to the warehouse and left the younger standing with a confused expression on his face.

Once Gabriel was gone Jesse just shrugged. He looked around the area, the small houses that had extra rooms where he felt like eyes might be watching them, a sudden sense of paranoia added to his overwhelmed senses. He turned and kept to the shadows as he made his way away from the warehouse, scanning the area to make sure he wasn’t being followed. Gabriel’s words had made him nervous…

The Alpha’s truck had been parked up the path leading out of the gorge. Gabriel claimed it meant less of a chance of getting easily damaged, and Jesse had to agree. Cars in Deadlock Gorge often got mysterious damage just sitting out in the open…

He opened the truck and pulled himself inside, the space quiet and comfortable, scented strongly of the Alpha it belonged to. Jesse was somewhat concerned with how comfortable he found the man’s scent and presence – Alphas rarely got along so well.

Jesse didn’t dwell on that thought though. He settled back in the cab and stretched out, grabbing the phone from his pocket. He suddenly felt a strong desire to talk to Hanzo, a need to talk to his mate and assure himself that everything would be alright.

[J: You’ll never believe what happened. Fuck today has been crazy.]

He looked at the time on his phone, reading 5:35 PM and tried to recall what time it was for Hanzo.

His phone dinged a moment later and he smiled, [H: Is everything alright?]

[J: Almost got crushed. One of the racks collapsed in the warehouse…]

[J: The whole warehouse looks like a warzone.]

[H: Are you alright?!]

[J: Don’t worry. I’m a bit shaken but I’m ok.]

[J: Managed to duck under a forklift.]

[H: Please do not scare me like that. There is nothing I can do from here…]

[J: Don’t worry Sweetness, I’m ok.]

[J: I’ll be on that plane.]

[J: Can I get a picture of you? Something to calm my nerves.]

The sound of tires drew Jesse’s attention up to the dusty road. He saw two large cars coming up the path, and for a moment Jesse wondered if there was another shipment coming in. However as the vehicles got closer Jesse quickly took note that these were not Deadlock…

They were big and black, wide and heavy. They had wide tires instead of hover-plates, kicking up heavy dust behind them. And they were moving. Quickly.

Jesse swiftly ducked his head down and shoved himself as far under the dashboard as he could to keep out of sight, listening to the roar of the engines and the crunch of tires. Gabriel’s car shuddered as they raced past, flecks of dirt and pebbles clicking against the metal and glass.

Shortly after there was another rush, more of the monstrous cars roaring past one after another.

What the hell was going on now?!

When the sounds died down and the rumbling faded into the distance, Jesse slowly lifted himself up to look through the window. He didn’t see any more cars coming, but he could see the last of the convoy racing into the compound. A renewed panic flared up in his chest.

He scrambled up into the seat and reached for his hip. He cursed as he realized he didn’t have his gun  _ again. _ He scanned the truck’s cabin quickly, wondering if Gabriel had anything stowed away. Grabbing for the glove compartment he dropped it open and was  satisfied when he found a heavy black handgun resting inside. He grabbed it and checked the clip,  relieved to find it loaded.

Slipping his phone into his pocket the Alpha scooted into the driver’s seat, slipping the keys into the ignition. From the compound behind him he could hear the telltale pops of gunfire. A helicopter roared overhead of the buttes, spotlight skimming over the ground as it made its way inward.

It was a  _ raid _ .

Of all the days for there to be a  _ raid _ . Jesse felt himself struggling to take in breaths as he started to hyperventilate. He started up Gabriel’s truck, a wave of guilt pulsing mutely through his system. He was leaving Gabriel behind, but he didn’t know what else he could do.

More gunfire.

He couldn’t go back, he couldn’t risk himself when he was so close.

He needed to throw the car into drive and get away as fast as he could.

Jesse huffed and tried to steel himself. The flash of the spotlight glinted in his eyes and he reached up to pull the visor down as he shifted into drive and slammed his foot down on the pedal. He looked in the rearview mirror as he sped up the path, the pedal flat to the ground, the speedometer crawling up to one-hundred. He was relieved to see nothing immediately coming after him, the raiders likely too concerned with the other few hundred Deadlock members in the compound.

As he turned his eyes back to the road he caught sight of the visor again and spotted the collection of pictures pinned to the fabric. Four photographs of Gabriel and his mate. The two of them hugging, kissing, being  _ happy _ . He thought about all the times Gabriel talked about Jack, the way his face lit up.

“ _ FUCK _ !”

Jesse pulled his foot off the accelerator and hit the brakes as he turned the wheel, the truck spinning quickly before he hit the accelerator again. He knew a narrow path leading back into the gorge, one he hoped hadn’t been found. If he was lucky he could get in, find Gabriel, and get out.

Gabriel would have done the same for him.

He skimmed around one of the buttes on the outer edge of the compound and slammed the brakes before the little pathway leading up to the crevice punching through the mountain. Jesse grabbed the gun as he jumped out of the car and checked their surroundings, then rushed up the path to the opening. He had to crouch down to squeeze his way through, following the light on the other side. Once he reached the other side he kept himself low to the ground as he surveyed the inner compound.

Whoever had attacked had been swift and efficient. The main assault already seemed to be over, four of the assault vehicles stationed around the area, with what appeared to be SWAT gunmen having already secured the area. Jesse took a shaking breath as he looked down at the dead men and women littering the ground, all of them Deadlock.

Gabriel was likely already dead…

Jesse swallowed hard. Their attackers were in another league. He wanted to find and save Gabriel, but seeing that the men in the gorge didn’t seem to leave  _ anyone _ alive was dashing his hopes.

There was nothing he could do, he told himself as he backed away from his hiding spot and turned to crawl back where he’d come from.

Back at the other side of the butte he pulled himself out of the crevice and ran back down to the truck. He grabbed for the handle when he heard a shout, turning his head up to see two men running towards him. Jesse cursed and bolted from the car.

He didn’t know where he could go, but there were plenty of nooks and crannies in the buttes that he could duck into. He just needed to lose the goons.

He dove around the corner to the sound of gunfire peppering the rocks, only then to remember that he had his own gun. Panic burned in his veins, fear of losing his friend  _ and _ his mate fueling him. He thought back to the day he’d met Gabriel, to the standoff in the desert. He didn’t stand a chance if those goons caught up to him.

Jesse closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hearing the sound of boots crunching in the dirt running towards him. It was only a matter of time.

He pulled the hammer back on Gabriel’s gun, thought about the fact that the man would never see his mate again. These men had killed Gabriel, a man who wanted nothing more than to provide for his beloved. They were going to kill Jesse too, ripping him away from an already ailing Hanzo. He  _ needed _ a way out.

The air suddenly felt still, the world around him feeling as slow as a stopped clock. He had a way.

He pushed away from the wall and stepped around the corner. The soldiers were close, about ten feet directly in front of Jesse, guns raised. But Jesse didn’t care.

The world around him went black and cold, zeroing in on the two figures chasing him. In the span of less than a breath the Alpha lifted his gun and fired twice, fast enough that the sounds were blurred as one. The figures vanished into nothingness and left Jesse standing, swallowed in the suffocating abyss.

He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear or think. Everything was blackness and fear.

When the world came back it was all at once, crashing down on him with ferocity. Jesse let out a snarl as he gripped his aching head, gulping in breaths like he’d been starved for it. Every sound, every sensation, the sight of the world around him was all overwhelming and Jesse collapsed to his knees.

Last time he’d had Gabriel there to pull him out of his stupor. This time Jesse had to pull himself upright as sudden pain tore through his leg, nearly blinding. He clutched at the injured leg, forcing his eyes open, the world far too bright as he stared with wild eyes at the gunshot wound in his leg.

His jeans were already soaked with blood.

His head was still too rattled to figure out an escape plan. He needed to get to the car and get away, but the car was so far away, his leg hurt so bad, his lungs felt like they were on fire. It was all Jesse could do to crawl back around the corner, tucked into a small alcove in the rock before he collapsed back.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, his body on fire, his head pounding. He knew he didn’t have long. Someone would find him, or he would bleed out.

Bloody hands groped for his pocket, trembling as he pulled out his phone. He needed to get a message to Hanzo…

He swiped his phone open, blood streaking over the glass of his phone. It opened up to his previous conversation with his mate, a new message flashing up for him. He winced, the light of his phone burning through his eyes into his brain, but he didn’t care as he tapped the thumbnail of the picture that had come through.

Hanzo. His beautiful Hanzo. He was garbed in a handsome blue, a low V exposing the cleft of his chest. He was smiling at the phone, smiling at  _ Jesse _ . His long hair was curled over one shoulder, the long gold tie that Jesse had gotten him in plain view, along with the mating mark on his neck.

It was beautiful enough to make Jesse want to cry.

Jesse needed to move. He knew that much. He needed to get to Hanzo.

The world felt slow again, sluggish. The rush of adrenaline and panic draining out of him and leaving him feeling fatigued and lethargic. The events of the day were leaving him too exhausted.

Jesse didn’t remember closing his eyes, but from one blink to the next he noticed the shadows of the buttes shift considerably. He only then recognized that it was the crunch of boots on dirt that woke him. With his phone still clutched in one hand and his gun in the other, he tried to sit up. Some of the haze had lifted, and a phantom of fear washed through him.

“Jesse?” The soft voice was one he recognized, confusion and a rush of elation bubbling up within him.

He sat up a little straighter, his throat tight, “Gabe?”

The footsteps sped up and Gabriel suddenly rounded the corner, the man’s face showing visible relief. “Shit,” the man’s eyes slipped down to Jesse’s leg.

Jesse smirked, “M’ok. You see the other guys?”

Gabriel huffed, “I did.” The Alpha stepped closer and knelt down in front of the man.

“We need to get out of here,” Jesse flinched when Gabriel touched his wounded leg, pushing the hand away, “Get you back to Jack, and I have a plane to catch.”

“Yeah… When the cars started showing up I figured you’d be long gone. What’re you still doing here Pup?” The elder ignored his hand being pushed away and went back to Jesse’s leg, then reached for his pants and pulled off his belt. “Hang on kid, this is gonna hurt.”

Jesse knew what was coming, “Couldn’t stand the thought of abandoning you, letting you get killed and leave Jack behind. Besides…” Gabriel had wrapped his belt around the upper part of Jesse’s thigh and looped the leather through the buckle, then cinched it tight. Jesse gargled on a shout he tried to muffle, pain clenching at his muscle and bone, making darkness creep into the edges of his vision.

“Besides what?” Gabriel asked, eyes down as he focused on making sure he’d staunched the flow well enough.

“You’d have done the same for me, I bet. You’ve helped me out of a lot of shit…” Jesse’s teeth were grit, squirming somewhat.

Gabriel finally looked up, “You came back for me…”

“Yeah. I…when I saw all the shit down there I figured you were dead though. I was tryin’ to get out when those goons found me.”

“Playin’ hero for me,  _ vaquero _ ?” the man sat back on his heels, something stunned and hollow in his eyes.

“Nothin’ heroic about it. Friend helpin’ a friend. We got mates to look after, right?” Jesse looked down at his phone, then back up to Gabriel, “Heroics would be me goin’ back to save people I don’t know.”

The Alpha held his hand out, “Lemme have my gun,  _ Niño _ .”

Jesse looked down at the gun in his hand. He knew he was too shaken to be useful with it anyway, and as he lifted to hand the piece over he noticed… “Gabriel…your shirt.”

The man was in a skin-tight t-shirt, a band around his arm with a badge… Jesse noticed the man’s lack of injury or stress, the set of his jaw. Something wasn’t right and it made Jesse’s skin crawl suddenly, unease and fear gripping him yet again as he searched the figure up and down.

The man heaved a sigh, his hand coming up to scrub at his beard. “Jesse, I need you to listen to me.”

It clicked then.

“Y…You’re one of ‘em…” Jesse breathed, the fear, panic, and desperation fading to a numb defeat.

“My name is Gabriel Reyes, of Overwatch. I was here investigating Deadlock and its weapons trade…” Gabriel’s voice was assured, strong, the man was in his absolute element and had Jesse cornered and bleeding out. The Alpha sighed, “That included Deadlock’s deal with Shimada.”

Jesse felt tears coming to his eyes, “I trusted you…” In that moment he realized that had been the point. It was why Gabriel had taken a special interest in Jesse – it had nothing to do with what they had in common, it had nothing to do with them being actual friends. All those training sessions, their talks, the nights of smoking together. The whole thing had been a lie and Jesse had fallen for it, hook-line and sinker.

Gabriel didn’t answer right away, instead he sighed. When he spoke, it was in a careful tone, “C’mon Jesse, I have to take you in now.”

The words sparked fire in the Alpha. Still numb in body and mind, all he felt was instinct. He raised the gun still in his hand and pulled the trigger, but Gabriel moved too fast. The man had been expecting the resistance, had grabbed Jesse’s hand and the stock of the gun, twisting it so that the bullet missed by a mile, flying off into the desert air aimlessly, “I’m sorry,  _ Niño… _ ”

The Alpha’s innter fire seared as too many thoughts clogged Jesse’s mind at once. He was going to die. He wouldn’t get to see his mate again. Everything he had worked for was lost and now he was powerless, all because he made the mistake of trusting the worst man on the face of the planet, “ _ I SHOULD HAVE LET THEM SHOOT YOU! _ ” The words were so warped with rage, so loud, that Jesse didn’t even recognize his own voice, “ _ I SHOULD HAVE PUT A BULLET THROUGH YOU MYSELF! _ ”

Jesse tried to lunge, his whole body stiff with injury and exhaustion. He was caught by the man’s forearm alone, shoved back into the wall and held there as his screams devolved into snarls of rage and desperation.

The gun was ripped from his hand and Jesse took the opportunity, landed a lucky fist on Gabriel’s jaw. The other man didn’t even seem angry about it, taking the hit with barely even a wince before he threw the gun aside and grabbed Jesse’s wrist, “Don’t make this more difficult.”

As Jesse struggled as hard as he could, giving Gabriel everything he could, he could barely see the figure coming up behind Gabriel. His eyes snapped up to the new person, a woman with dark eyes and a cold face. She had a gun of her own and raised it. Gabriel just held Jesse still as the woman lined up her shot.

If Jesse was going to die, at least he would die fighting. He would die giving everything he had.

He didn’t even hear the crack of the gun, didn’t feel more than a sting as the bullet tore through him. He snarled and lunged again, roared until his voice broke in his throat. The world was going dark, his limbs felt heavy, his eyes were falling closed.

Jesse struggled for his last few seconds, but finally collapsed and closed his eyes.

At least he got to see Hanzo one last time, even if it was just the picture in his mind…

* * *

Gabriel held Jesse down as Amari came up behind him. He’s already given the instruction that Jesse was to be captured, not killed. He had expected Jesse to struggle and resist, the kid was giving it everything he had, thrown into a frenzy. Gabriel saw the way Jesse’s eyes glazed as he gave in to the instinctual rage of his Alpha side.

It was a scary sight, even for a pup like Jesse.

He heard the soft snick of the gun, the bloom of the red plume buried in his shoulder from the tranquilizer.

It only took about ten seconds for the fight to drain out of Jesse’s body, for the haze of rage and fury to shift to fear and defeat. That final snarling roar had been the last of the kid’s energy, desperate and mournful. Gabriel understood. He understood and for the first time in a very long time…he felt bad.

Once Jesse slumped over unconscious, Gabriel sat up and looked down. The belt looped around Jesse’s leg had gone loose, and he reached down to retighten it. It would do until they could get the kid stitched up at least. He’d have Amari take a look at it once they were on their way back to HQ.

“Why are we keeping the kid alive again?” Amari asked from behind him.

“I have my reasons,” Gabriel sighed. “Kid’s got connections to Shimada.”

“Kid like him? What’s he got on Shimada?”

Gabriel scrubbed his hand over his face, “He’s the heir’s mate. Makes him a good bargaining chip to get whatever we need.”

Amari huffed, “Really? I guess that does make him valuable.”

Gabriel just hummed. He gathered Jesse’s body up in his arms and picked him up. He turned and started making his way back to the convoy, stepping around the two bodies of the men Jesse had killed – the only men who had died during the assault.

Amari followed behind him, the woman’s back stiff and straight. “You’re quiet,” she commented. “Normally you’d be barking orders.”

The man grunted, “Kid came back for me.”

“So?” the woman’s eyes flickered down to the body in Gabriel’s arms.

“He came back to  _ save me _ …”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And folks, we have reached the end of Part 2!
> 
> We're in the final stretch.
> 
> Also! I created a Plotist Archive for the various elements and features of this AU, including a Timeline. If you enjoy this work, I encourage you check it out!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to my wonderful Betas. I love you guys!
> 
> This is a VERY plot-heavy chapter, but I hope it serves to answer a lot of the questions you folks might have.

Gabriel woke to the chirp of a phone alarm in the darkness of the morning. What had initially startled him was that it wasn’t his own phone’s alarm, the sound foreign to him as it sang a merry little tune. His hand snapped out as he leaned over the edge of the bed, groped for his pants and pulled out a battered old phone, swiping the alarm off before he stared at the screen that opened to him.

A beautiful Asian man laid out in a nest, garbed in a simple blue kimono. Hanzo really was quite pretty, even Gabriel could admit that much.

The notifications at the bottom of the screen showed forty-three new texts and seventeen missed calls. Gabriel sighed at the small pang of guilt and turned the screen off as he pulled himself back into the depths of the bed and set the phone down beside his own. A glance at the clock showed that it was 6:30 AM, far later than he normally got up, but still very early for his day off. Especially after a long op.

The sheets rustled beside him, Jack’s warm body gravitating closer and pressing up against Gabriel. He smiled, forgetting the phone as he turned to wrap himself back around his mate, running his nose over Jack’s pale shoulder. He’d missed the man so much and had spent  _ hours _ the day before worshipping the Alpha and getting reacquainted. What was better was that Jack still scented of their coupling, the whole room reeking of sex and the renewed marks on their necks.

Jack was a beautiful man, long and pale and muscled. He was like the embodiment of a sunny day with light skin, sky blue eyes, and blonde hair so bright it practically glowed. Gabriel had never considered himself a man to wax poetic, but he supposed that he could make exceptions in the quiet peace of their shared bedroom.

Jack took a deep breath and stretched like a lazy cat unwilling to get up, “It’s too early to get up. You have the day off.”

“Not getting up,” Gabriel amended with a gentle kiss to the still-tender mark on Jack’s neck, “Wasn’t my phone. Forgot the Pup Alpha had an alarm.”

Jack just grunted, satisfied with hearing that they didn’t have to untangle just yet. Several minutes passed as the pair dozed before the blonde hummed, “Why do you have the kid’s phone?” A fair question, especially when Jack had said that neither of them were going to be working on their days off.

“Relax,  _ Cariño _ ,” Gabriel soothed, “I couldn’t hand it off to evidence just yet. It’s encrypted. The second someone tries to download the data on that phone it’ll wipe itself.” He had flicked through Jesse’s phone on the flight back to Headquarters, and Aries had confirmed that the data encryption on the Pup’s phone was top-notch. He needed to give Aries time to search the device for useable information without risking a wipe.

Another grunt, this one less satisfied, “Our techs aren’t that incompetent.”

“Listen to you, jealous,” the elder Alpha laughed softly.

“I’m not jealous!” Jack was more awake.

Another chuckle, “Yes you are. I’ve seen you jealous before.”

“What do I have to be jealous about? Some mated Alpha pup?” Jack huffed and turned around, snuggling up against Gabriel’s chest, “You’ve just spent the last four and a half months with him, pardon me for wanting all of your attention for two days.” He had the most obvious pout on his face.

Gabriel just smoothed his hand up his lover’s spine, let his fingers trace the muscles of the man’s back, “ _ Mi Sol _ , I didn’t give him any attention. I turned off his alarm. Relax,” he leaned down and feathered gentle kisses across the man’s sculpted face, over the high cheeks and sharp nose, the solid lines of his jaw down to nip at the dimple on his chin, “You’re adorable when you get all jealous you know?”

Jack just scoffed and leaned in to bury his face against Gabriel’s neck, kissing at the hollow dip in his throat.

Gabriel hummed softly, stretched and wrapped himself more firmly around his mate. His hand slipped down the curve of the man’s back and massaged the round of his ass. The room was quiet for several moments before it peace was broken by the sound of a phone vibrating over wood. Gabriel felt himself tense up at the same time Jack groaned.

He tried to ignore it. Moments later, however, it buzzed again. Then again. Then again.

“Oh my God, Gabriel,” Jack growled.

“Relax  _ Cariño _ ,” he shifted and rolled onto his back to pick the phone up, “I’ll turn it on silent.”

Suddenly Jack snatched the phone away and Gabriel expected the Alpha to turn the device off in frustration. Instead he leaned back onto his mate and opened up the phone, staring at the photo on the home screen, “He’s prettier here than the pictures we have,” he commented before opening up the pictures application.

Gabriel raised a brow as he watched his mate start digging through Jesse’s photos, flicking through each picture. There had to be at least thirty of Hanzo alone, which the Alpha could understand (he didn’t want to talk about how many pictures of Jack’s ass were on his phone for when he was lonely on an op), however, “Why does he have so many pictures of food?” Jack scoffed.

Gabriel just shrugged, “I mean, that burger is making me hungry,” he pointed out to the picture on the screen of a massive burger that clogged his arteries just looking at it.

Jack scoffed a laugh, though it faded when the phone started buzzing again in his hand. He frowned as he stared at the messages application at the bottom of the screen, the count going up consistently, “Its been less than thirty hours.”

“Jesse was supposed to be on a plane to Japan,” Gabriel explained with a sigh, “He was just about to leave when we did the sweep.”

The blonde’s brows shot up and he turned to look at Gabriel, something dark in his eyes, “You stopped him from going back?”

Gabriel sighed and reached up to rub his hand over his face, “Yes. He’s exactly the bargaining chip I need.”

Jack didn’t look convinced, “I get that he was running with a gang, Gabriel, but what has  _ he _ done to merit being locked up in a cell?”

“At minimum?” Gabriel huffed a soft laugh, “Two counts of murder. Driving without a license. Aiding and abetting.”

“Alright, I get it,” the blonde huffed a sigh, “I just…”

“I know,  _ Cariño _ . Me too. I told you, he came back to save me when he thought I was in trouble. It’s what got him caught, kind of. I expected him to steal my car, I needed to keep him out of any crossfire.”

Jack hummed and opened up the messages tab. Despite over forty messages, there were only texts from two people. He opened the conversation from Hanzo first…

Beneath a picture of the Omega were unread messages with growing urgency.

[H: Do you like it?]

[H: Did you fall asleep on me?]

[H: It’s not fair to not say something. I’m going to give you hell in the morning.]

[H: Is everything ok? You missed our call.]

[H: Jesse?]

[H: Are you ignoring me?]

[H: Jesse McCree I will skin you alive, answer me!!!!]

[H: Just tell me you’re ok?]

[H: Your phone is on, my calls are ringing to voicemail.]

[H: Please don’t miss your flight.]

[H: I keep calling you.]

[H: Jesse I’m getting really worried]

[H: I swear if you’re not dead I’m going to kill you myself]

[H: Please don’t be dead]

[H: Jesse please]

[H: I need to hear your voice]

[H: I can’t sleep until I know you’re ok]

[H: I can’t lose you]

The last message hung ominously, both Jack and Gabriel staring at it with mutual pain in their hearts. Suddenly a fresh assault of texts came in rapid-fire.

[H: Are you there?]

[H: The messages show they’ve been seen]

[H: Jesse please]

[H: Say something]

[H: Anything]

[H: Your flight left hours ago]

“Gabe…”

The man reached up and gently tugged the phone from his mate’s hand, and with a few flicks he turned the notifications on silent. One more message came through…

[H: Please I won’t be upset just let me know you’re ok]

He turned off the screen and set the phone aside. When he looked over and saw Jack’s disapproving expression he just wrapped himself around the Alpha and kissed at his mark, “I’m gonna do what I can,  _ Cariño _ . Let me worry about it.”

By the tension in Jack’s shoulders, he could tell that his mate wasn’t entirely convinced…

* * *

It was four AM the next morning when Gabriel left the sanctity of his and Jack’s room to get back to his own work. His  mate was shortly behind him, off on his own duties. He checked his own phone, pulling up his schedule. Training with his squad, a debriefing at nine, three meetings throughout the day, and a full mission report regarding Deadlock that needed to be written. That didn’t even begin to include the Pup Alpha.

“Sir,” Captain Amari was waiting outside of the main training room, looking up when she saw the man coming.

He nodded to her, “Ana. Any news?”

The woman reached for a datapad in a pocket on her belt. She pulled up several files, “News reports regarding the Deadlock raid. So far the authorities have no indication who lead the attack.” Good. “The funerals have been scheduled for Darban and Metz. Sunday.” Less good, but he would see that his men were buried with dignity.

“Any family we need to contact?”

“Darban has a sister in Florida, I’ve already dispatched an officer to meet with her in person to give the news. A friend of Darban’s. Metz didn’t have anyone on file, nor did his will request anyone’s presence. Though he did request to have ‘Gabe can suck my balls’ put on his tombstone…”

Gabriel groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Of course he did.”

“Deadlock activity from their bases in Nevada and Southern California have shown an increase in defenses. Our plants have expressed a lot of infighting among them. Some members are even leaving without a word.”

“Doesn’t surprise me. Gang like Deadlock doesn’t really inspire much loyalty. Speaking of Deadlock…what about the kid?”

The woman frowned and pulled up another file, “Meals have been brought to him, but he’s not eating. Not drinking. I don’t think  he’s even gotten out of his cot. All attempts at conversation have been met with silence. With his injury, and blood loss I give him…” she sighed and shrugged, “Another day at most before he goes into shock. He lost a lot of blood and he’s not taking in any fluids.”

“Fucking…” Gabriel cinched his jaw and sighed out a growl.

He shifted back and forth on his feet, debating what he needed to do.

“I don’t have time to babysit the Pup. Give him a fluid shot if you have to, I can’t have that little bastard dying on me. I’ll be able to come see him this afternoon. At least keep him alive until then.” Jesse’s phone in his pocket felt like a lead weight, a reminder that it was his fault. Gabriel was probably the last person Jesse wanted to see.

“ _ I trusted you _ . _ ” _

There were very few people in the world who trusted Gabriel Reyes. He’d been called underhanded, callous, cold, cruel. The only person he could think of that had ever trusted Gabriel other than Jesse had been Jack. It was a painful realization that having Jesse’s trust had meant a lot to him. The kid had been good company, like a little brother. Gabriel  _ wanted _ to protect him.

As Gabriel made his way into the training room he thought about what he’d been told about Jesse’s life previously…

_ “You know, I wasn’t born McCree. Heh, I was actually born Jesse Arce. I was a shitty kid though. Had a mean streak a mile long. Gave my poor mama hell. She never gave up on me, never stopped lovin’ me. But being a dipshit teenager, Deadlock offered me ‘freedom’ away from mama. So I took off one night. Packed some clothes in a bag an’ left home.” _

_ “Why don’t you go back?” _ Gabriel had asked.

_ “I figure maybe she’s better off without a shitbag like me. What would she think if she found out her Pup was just a no good gang banger with nothing to look forward to? She pro’lly thinks I’m dead and, well, that’s for the best. Besides, I run home, that’ll be the first place Deadlock goes lookin. Last thing I wanna do now is put mama in any danger.” _

_ “So where’d the McCree come from?” _ Gabriel wondered.

_ “Watched a lotta westerns in my day. The real old ones y’know? Read a lot of those old books too. Outlaw Jesse McCree isn’t someone who shoulda been a kid’s hero, but I just thought he was the coolest shit since sliced bread. Thought it was great that we shared a first name. So when I left home, I figured I could rebrand myself. Be a cool guy.” _

Gabriel tried not to dwell on those thoughts during training. It didn’t work out as well as he hoped as his squad got more than a few good hits in on him. They must have known something was wrong by the looks they kept giving him before he ran them through another set of drills.

_ “I trusted you…” _

The words rang insistently through his mind, echoing and rattling around.

He was relieved when training ended and he dismissed his sweaty squad to the showers. Gabriel himself felt like he had more energy to work off, but he didn’t have the time for it. He wiped himself off and skipped the shower, jogging the six buildings away from the training facility to the offices. 

He didn’t care that he stank of sweat and Alpha when he walked into the room. Jack, Ana, and four other higher-ups from various Overwatch branches were waiting for him inside.

He scanned the room quickly, despite having seen it hundreds of times. He noted the blank walls, the white carpet, the dark polished table and perfect office chairs. The place felt as sterile as any other Overwatch conference room, striving to keep from offending absolutely anyone.

Jack shifted and squirmed in his seat when Gabriel’s scent hit him, and he flashed his mate a smirk before he sat down at the conference table to deliver a more in-depth debriefing than he had when they first touched down.

“Remind me again,” Overwatch’s Minister of Peace was a hawk-nosed woman with round glasses and a gaze as sharp as her chin, “Why you infiltrated a mid-level gang hideout? Last time I checked, Overwatch’s duty is to the Omnic Crisis. Deadlock is a concern for the American justice system.”

Gabriel had been expecting the question and had answered it a dozen times before, “For the last two years I have been tracking down trade routes of Omnium Grade weapons and supplies. The Omniums may be self-sufficient inside of their own plants, but they still need a resource supply from the outside or they couldn’t continue to produce their war machines. My research lead me through dozens of routes, and specifically to Deadlock, which has been receiving and trading Omnium style weaponry and machinery for the better part of six years. They’re trading the Omnics something for these weapons.”

He grabbed his datapad from the table and pulled up his mission reports, expanding several photos that had been taken of the Deadlock warehouse after the raid. He set the datapad down and slid it over, “Deadlock deals in a lot of import substance trading. They trade weapons, they get substance. Most people pass it off as drugs, but many of the drugs that they’re importing have chemical compounds needed to run Omnium machinery.” He sat back, “Recently, Deadlock came into a trade agreement with the Shimadas, a Yakuza clan based in southern Japan. The Shimadas have been the number one drug-lords in Japan for generations, and are known for having an almost complete monopoly of the opium supply worldwide. Anything opium is most likely from Shimada hands. Now, when broken down, opium can be used in neural technology needed for the more advanced Omnics to make them function better. To help give them that human element.”

The woman hummed as she tapped through the documents.

“And you believe that Deadlock is a direct supplier to these Omniums?”

Gabriel grunted, “Considering that one of the founders and owners of Omni-Tech, the largest robotics and Omnic design network in the world, is also a leader for Deadlock? He’s a known Omnic sympathizer, and has expressed interest in seeing the human population replaced with Omnics.”

Jack cleared his throat and spoke up, “The weapon caches we found in the Deadlock warehouse had thousands of these Omnium grade weapons. However Deadlock themselves weren’t using them – why?”

“Most folks didn’t have any idea what was in those crates. Only the higher ups. Reason being is, like our lovely Minister of Peace here mentioned, Deadlock is only classified as a mid-level gang. They’re on the radar, but there are both bigger and smaller fish to fry. They make themselves a smaller target if they appear less threatening than they have the potential to be. Their deals in weapons trading makes the Deadlock leaders some of the richest men on the planet, and nobody has a clue. These are men sitting on trillions of dollars in banks across the world.”

The woman let out a long, low hum as she passed the datapad back, “Gabriel, you  _ killed _ ninety-two men and women.”

He swallowed down a small pang of guilt at the reminder, but nodded, “I did what I thought was necessary. We can’t afford to let word get out that Overwatch is on Deadlock’s tail. If we can crush this supply line, we can cripple several Omniums at once.”

“ _ Ninety-two people, _ Gabriel,” she stressed, “And you only took one prisoner.”

“If it means putting us one step closer to ending this war, I’ll take that blood on my hands.”

Jack frowned, “You assaulted one of their warehouses. Deadlock is sure to shift their routes now.”

“Exactly. For them to change their routes, they have to pause the line for a time. I need that time to dissect the data we got from Deadlock and find out their routes for the weapons. If I can keep them on the defensive for the time being, it’ll slow down their lines. My plants in the other sectors of Deadlock are already reporting infighting and members going defunct. Deadlock doesn’t have a lot of loyalty among its lower members.”

“And why the boy?” Ana finally looked up from her hands on the desk, “Out of everyone in Deadlock, why did you only take one boy?”

“He has ties to Shimada. He’s the mate to Sojiro’s heir. I can use him to get a plant in Shimada’s empire. If I do that, I can follow the supply lines of the Opium and see if it funnels back to the Omniums.”

The Minister of Peace leaned back and folded her bony arms, “This is a lot of subterfuge and blood for theories.”

“We found Omnium weapons in that warehouse. This is no longer theory.”

The woman scowled, “Overwatch is meant to be an organization to bring about peace from this war. You’re killing humans, not smashing robots.”

Gabriel gnashed his teeth together, his frustration mounting, “I’m doing what I can to prevent terrorism. If I didn’t have proof of these weapon trades, I wouldn’t have done the sweep. The Deadlock leaders are Omnic sympathizers, the same Omnics who destroyed half of Germany, the same Omnics who leveled L.A.! How many innocent humans have died in this war?”

“I’m not questioning that, I’m saying you’re  _ adding _ to the death count!”

“Enough!” Jack stood up and put his hands down on the desk, “What’s done is done. Gabriel’s right, Deadlock is now confirmed to be trading with the Omniums. I’m giving him the needed permissions to continue his investigations. Gabriel?” he looked to his mate.

Gabriel felt relief. He didn’t need Jack to come to his rescue, but he understood the protective urges that flared up in tense moments. He nodded to the man, “Commander.”

“I need you to keep the body count down. What you did at Deadlock is…it could have been handled better.”

“I can’t help but wonder,” the woman pressed icily, turning her steely gaze on Jack, “If your relationship with  _ Commander _ Reyes might be swaying your judgement.”

“And I can’t help but wonder if you have any idea what war entails beneath the surface. You haven’t been on those battlefields. You haven’t watched Omnics gun down men, women, and children in the streets with no regard. Human lives mean  _ nothing _ to them. They’re machines, and they’re designed to  _ kill _ . If Gabriel can sleuth out one of their major supply lines, then I’m going to give him the green light to do whatever he needs to prevent more of these machines and weapons from getting into the wrong hands. Is that understood?”

Gabriel smirked, feeling a wash of pride for his mate. There was a reason Jack was the one who handled the politics.

The woman’s frown deepened, but otherwise she remained silent.

“Good. Now then. Gabriel, can you go over what exactly you found in Deadlock?”

He nodded to his mate and pulled up his notes on his datapad. Anything for his Jack.

* * *

The meeting ran well into the afternoon. Gabriel’s stomach was snarling at him by the time they got out. He pulled Jack aside for a brief kiss before he made his way to the canteen, the room a mess of tables and people, a constant drone of noise. There was no rank-and-file in the mess hall, just hungry people looking to chat. It was the reason that Gabriel didn’t usually eat there. He wasn’t one for ‘chatting.’

As he picked up a tray for himself he paused and considered his options. He didn’t have long before he’d have to go in for another meeting, which meant that his lunch was as good as he would get for time to himself. He grabbed a second tray and loaded up on food; overcooked steak, some burnt pilaf, some raw broccoli, and a few rolls. The woman accepting credits at the end of the line smirked, “Gonna be having lunch in the Strike Commander’s office?”

Gabriel huffed a chuckle, “You know it.”

The woman, Abigail, took too much enjoyment out of the on-base gossip. She had so many connections that Gabriel had, on more than one occasion, considered training her for Blackwatch. Granted, he wasn’t sure how much good he would get out of someone who was already fifty-eight years old.

With both lunches secured, Gabriel made his way out of the lunchroom. Across the base and back into the main Blackwatch station, the man was greeted the moment he walked through the automatic doors, “Good afternoon, Commander.” Aries had full control of the entire building, completely isolated from the Overwatch AI, which was only slightly unnerving considering that Gabriel was partially in charge of destroying the majority of all AI controlled machines on the planet.

He dipped his head, “Aries, unlock the door to the cells, and unlock cell 2A for me. What’s the status on the kid?” The main room had an empty front desk, and a set of stairs going up, and a set going down. He chose the stairs descending into the Blackwatch underbelly, down and around a twisting set. He could have taken the elevator, but where was the fun in that?

“Hansen arrived at eight AM to deliver breakfast. Jesse has not had either the food nor the water. At ten AM, Doctor Moira was granted access to the facilities and came to administer a fluid shot as per Commander Amari’s request. He has been entirely unresponsive to human interaction since he woke at four PM yesterday afternoon. His vitals are weak, but he is otherwise conscious and shows no sign of infection or further injury.”

The bottom of the stairs spilled into a T crossing, two long hallways intersecting with each other. Dozens of doors lined the halls, each of them two inches of solid titanium with handprint sensors. Gabriel went left, and followed the hallway down to the very end. The door at the furthest end swung open on its own as he approached.

Gabriel had expected Jesse to make a scene as soon as he woke up, to start screaming and banging on the bars of his cell. He hadn’t considered the other extreme to anger, however. Ripping him away from his mate and the loss of Gabriel as a friend was just as likely to throw the pup into a depressive spiral as anything else.

The Blackwatch cells were not like the Overwatch ones. There was little desire to offer their ‘guests’ comfort. The floor was cold tile, the walls solid titanium, with heavy iron bars on the face of each cell. The cells came equipped with a toilet and a small cot, but nothing else. He would have rather put Jesse in the Overwatch cells, he didn’t see the kid as a criminal, but without knowing how he would react it was too big of a risk.

Jesse’s cell was the second on the left as he walked into the room, and the metal bars of the doorway slid aside on their own as Gabriel approached.

Jesse was too big for his cot, his feet hanging over the end, his back turned to the bars, shoulders hunched forward. His hair was a mess, unwashed, and the scent in the air was distressingly blank. Gabriel expected fear, anger, sadness. Instead he got nothing but the sterile scent of the room.

He stepped into the cell, “Hey pup,” he tried and hoped for a reaction. He got none. “Brought you some food.”

Sitting at the floor beside the cot was a tray of cold food and water from that morning. Untouched, just as he’d been told.

He got no response. He needed something, anything. If he could drag some sort of reaction from the kid he could start to get him back.

“You haven’t been eating. Haven’t been drinking. I know you’re awake,” he didn’t, but he had to  _ hope  _ Jesse was awake. Gabriel took a few steps forward and craned his neck to see Jesse’s face, caught sight of brown eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

“You need to eat. At least drink something.”

Nothing.

Gabriel hummed a low sound in his throat, “I expected you to be fighting. Yelling, screaming, making a fuss. Not letting yourself starve like this. How are you going to get back to Hanzo if you’re dead?”

Jesse’s hand twitched from where it was resting on his bicep, both of his arms wrapped around himself with goosebumps on his skin from how cold he was. Dehydration and starvation could do that to a person. Beyond that, however, the Alpha remained quiet and still.

Gabriel turned and set the trays of food down against the wall before going back to the bed, kicking the old tray under the cot to give himself room to stand and look at Jesse’s face. The older Alpha pulled a growl up from deep in his chest, a low and aggravated sound that he let darken the tone of his voice, “ _ Get up Jesse _ ,” he snapped, “ _ If you’re going to act like a bitch Omega, then I’m going to treat you like one! _ ”

He had hoped to draw out Jesse’s Alpha side, to force the kid to react on instinct as most any other Alpha would do.

The silence returned.

Gabriel lowered a hand down and grabbed Jesse’s upper arm firmly, pulling the kid onto his back, forcing him to break eye contact from the wall.

Dark brown eyes stirred with a weak fury that smoldered like dying embers as he was forced to stare up at Gabriel before he opened chapped lips to speak, “You only want me alive so you can get to Hanzo, get to the Shimadas…” His voice was wrecked from lack of use or water, cracking over each word, “You don’ give a shit about me. You never did. Now I’m your ticket in. If I have to starve myself to death to keep you from using me against Hanzo, I’ll do it.”

Despite the weakened warble, the words were spoken with conviction and honesty. Gabriel found that he could understand – he would do the same if it meant saving Jack.

“I give more of a shit than you think, kid.”

Jesse chuckled breathlessly, a grin spreading over his lips that split some of the dry skin, “You care about me as much as I’m useful to you. I saw what you did to Deadlock. Gunned down every sunnava bitch in that place. Guys you’d worked with for months. Guys who had lives. You’d have put a bullet through my head too if it weren’t for the mark on my neck.”

“You seem to have made a lot of assumptions about me,” Gabriel huffed.

Jesse laughed again and trailed off into a weak cough, “Gabriel Reyes, you said. From Overwatch. Didn’t see many pictures about you in Mama’s papers, but I’ve heard your name before. Big shot in a big organization. You don’t have a reason to give a shit about some lil’ ‘pup’ like me. I shoulda figured something was up. Out of everyone in Deadlock, you singled me out. Pretended like I was  _ interesting _ , like I was worth anything to a guy like you. Only thing I know wasn’t a lie was that you got a mate. Boy they must be proud to have you aren’t they? Killin’ hopes and dreams as easily as you killed those guys in Deadlock.”

A flare of anger roiled in Gabriel’s chest at Jesse’s words, and he knew they were meant to get a rise out of him. Oh but if it didn’t almost work. His hand tightened in its grip on Jesse’s arm, “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Isn’t that exactly what I just said? Oh but you know about me. Dunno how you found out about Hanzo, but you got me to tell you anything. Got me to look up to you,” the kid grit his teeth at that, as if he was upset with himself. He probably was. “I didn’t have a dad growin’ up. So findin’ an Alpha who had a mate, who seemed as screwed up as I was but could still be happy. Good job, you got the best of a  _ pup _ .”

“Jesse. You’re more to me than your mate. Sure it started out that wa—“

“Cut the bullshit, this isn’t some cheesy movie. Hanzo is the only thing in this world that makes me worth more ‘n pig-shit, I’m not stupid, I know that. You want me alive to use me as bait for Hanzo. But Hanzo’s not stupid. He’s gonna wanna see me alive before he does anything. You want to hurt my mate, and the only thing I can do is hope that I can kill myself before you get that chance.”

Gabriel stood there, silent and contemplating for a long moment. Part of him wanted to leave Jesse to his wallowing, figured that there wouldn’t be any getting through to someone like that.

Gabriel sighed through his nose, trying very hard to keep his temper down, “I know you don’t want to believe me, Jesse, but I don’t want to hurt Hanzo. As far as we know, Hanzo is innocent of his father’s crimes. Even if he’s not, even if he does have something he did, he’s been groomed by his father to do those things. We want to offer him a different path. That’s why we need you.”

For a long moment Jesse seemed unwavering in his resolve. Then, very slowly, a fragment of hope slightly eased the tension in the Alpha’s brow. If Gabriel weren’t trained to see microexpressions he would have missed it, but there was some small part of Jesse that still wanted to believe him.

Then that hope washed away on a tide of anger and hurt, “Fuck off. If that were true you’d have let me go, you know I  was gonna take him away from his father! We…we just wanted a nice life together,” if Jesse weren’t so dehydrated, Gabriel imagined the Alpha might have been holding back tears. He was genuine, and Gabriel believed him.

“I gave you my car,” he reminded Jesse.

“What?”

“Before the raid. I gave you my keys, my car, and my gun. You could have gotten away.” It was a partial truth, really. His truck had a tracker in it, Jesse wouldn’t have gotten far before the engine was forcibly shut off – but the pup didn’t need to know that. He needed Jesse’s trust back.

The attempt backfired as Jesse growled in anger, the sound warbled and pathetic, “Yeah. But I came back to save a friend. Look where that got me.”

Gabriel sighed again.

_ “I should have put a bullet in your head myself!” _

“Fine, kid. Just know that one way or another, I’m going to get what I need out of Shimada Castle. I’d like to do so without violence, but I suppose that’s on you.” He turned and walked back to where he’d put the lunch trays down and knelt to pick his up, “I’ll send Moira back down for another fluid shot in a few hours. Or you can drink for yourself.” As he stepped out of the cell, the bars slid closed behind him with a loud clack and the metallic clang of the lock.

By the time he glanced back, Jesse had already turned back to the wall.

Stubborn kid, but Gabriel couldn’t blame him.

* * *

It was nine PM by the time Gabriel got back to his and Jack’s room. The space was empty, and Gabriel figured he would have to go get Jack himself before his mate slept at his desk. Again. Still, the room scented heavily of their mating, and it did wonders for Gabriel’s mental state as he sat down on their bed and worked off his jacket.

There was something so warm about his mate’s scent, like the sun on a summer day. Gabriel had asked what he scented like to Jack once, he was told cinnamon – which made sense as his mate had a weakness for cinnamon rolls. He smiled and wondered about getting Jack a cinnamon roll in the morning.

Gabriel reached into his jacket pocket before tossing the item aside, pulling out his and Jesse’s phones. He turned on the kid’s phone first, thinking about him for the first time since he had left the Blackwatch holding cells earlier that day. Opening to the main screen he checked the messages app and found that after one-twenty PM that day, there had been no more messages or calls from Hanzo.

He wondered at what that could mean, if Hanzo had just given up or if there was something else.

The door slid open, distracting Gabriel from the phone. He smiled as his mate walked into the room, greeting him with his own smile before he was on Gabriel, kissing him like a man starved for it. Gabriel set both phones aside as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Jack, letting them both fall back onto the bed and enjoying the pressure of having his lover on top of him. His fingers buried in the heavy blue fabric of Jack’s Strike Commander jacket, hauling him closer and deepening the kiss.

When they finally broke for air, Gabriel felt himself grinning like a fool, “Figured I’d have to come carry you out of your office,  _ mi sol _ .”

Jack chuckled softly, “All I could think about all day, was coming in here to be with you.” Those high cheekbones burned cherry red, slowly creeping up to his ears and down his neck, “I haven’t had you at all in so long.”

Gabriel hummed, pleased by the words. “Well you have me here now.”

They kissed again, and lost several long minutes to exploring one another’s mouths in lazy sweeps of their tongues. It was slow and comforting, a savoring of taste and mutual appreciation.

It was Jack who broke first, pulling himself off the bed and upright. He went about unbuttoning his cumbersome jacket, turning to take the few steps to the closet to hang it up. Gabriel pulled himself up on his elbows, legs spread wide as he grinned and let his eyes wander over the pronounced round of Jack’s ass in his dress pants. He wolf-whistled, “Damn I’ll never get tired of that nice ass you got, Blondie.”

Jack reached back and put his hands on his rear as if to hide it from Gabriel, then huffed, “After how many bite marks you put on it yesterday, Gabriel, I was reminded of that fact every time I sat down.”

Gabriel barked a laugh, “Good! I’m glad. And what have I told you? Call me  _ Papi _ .”

Jack groaned as he turned, “You’re awful.”

“No, I’m  _ Papi _ .”

The blonde scoffed sharply, “I thought I was the only one allowed to make dad jokes.”

“It’s not a dad joke, it’s a daddy joke. Big difference,” Gabriel chuckled, grinning so wide he bared his teeth, “C’mon over here.”

Jack sighed, smirking as he returned to his mate and crawled onto the man’s lap, “I repeat, you’re awful.”

“You love me,” Gabriel reminded the man with a self-satisfied grin.

“Somehow. Sometimes I wonder why.” Jack leaned down to kiss his mate again, lingering for a moment before he pulled back. Something curious and concerned crossed his features, “So, how’s the pup Alpha doing?”

Gabriel had to take a moment to catch up to the sudden subject change, blinking before he grunted, “Not so great. He’s trying to starve himself, wants to make it so we can’t use him against his mate.” He saw the furrow of Jack’s brow and immediately added, “I wanted to try to get Hanzo out of the Castle, and yes I would need to use Jesse as bait. But I don’t want to hurt the kid. If Hanzo is clean of his father’s crimes, I can let him go.”

Jack hummed, those intense blue eyes staring right into Gabriel’s soul, “Let  _ him _ go. What about his Alpha?”

“I’ll have to figure something out. But it’ll all be pointless if Jesse kills himself. He won’t listen to anything I say,” Gabriel sighed and closed his eyes, “I wish I could help him but I can’t  _ make _ him believe me. Jesse was right though, Hanzo is going to want to see Jesse alive before he agrees to anything, and if he sees Jesse in the state he’s in he’ll never believe that I didn’t do that.”

“Sounds like a tough spot…” Jack frowned and seemed to contemplate something.

“I can get where he’s coming from. He wants to protect his mate, and he has no reason to trust me anymore.” Gabriel laid back on the bed and folded his arms behind his head.

Jack reached over and picked up Jesse’s phone from where it had been tossed, opening the phone to see what Gabriel had been looking at a few minutes before. “Have you considered letting him talk to Hanzo?” he asked.

“I would, but in his condition I’m worried about how that would go.”

Jack let out a long hum, then pulled himself to stand, “Where are you keeping him?”

Gabriel opened his eyes and canted his head, “Blackwatch cells, why?”

The blonde’s brows furrowed again, “A prison cell?” He huffed and shook his head, “Fine, meet me outside of the Blackwatch building in fifteen minutes then.”

“Wait, I thought we were going to—“

“Help you keep the pup Alpha from killing himself? You’re right,” Jack winked and turned, going for the door, “Fifteen minutes.”

“No, I thought—“ the door slid closed with a snick and left Gabriel flustered and confused on the bed. He scoffed, “What about  _ Papi _ !?”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later saw Gabriel standing outside of the Blackwatch building with his jacket on, grumbling to himself as he fidgeted with his hands in his pockets. He checked the time, and waited an extra three minutes before his mate came jogging up with both of his hands full. One hand held a thermos, the other a datapad and Jesse’s phone.

“You better have an idea, Jack…” Gabriel huffed, “And it better work. It’s late, and I’m still horny.”

His mate rolled those pretty blue eyes, “Just take me down to Jesse.”

Gabriel grunted and chewed the inside of his lip before he turned and lead Jack into the building. He took them downstairs and to the cells, the same path he had walked earlier that day, talking as they moved, “Aries. What’s the status on the kid?”

“Blood pressure is critically low, blood sugar is likely very low as well. He is not yet in need of hospitalization, but it will be needed sooner rather than later if his condition persists.”

“Great,” Gabriel hummed, “Unlock his cell for us.”

The door to the cells opened, and Gabriel walked the pair of them to the pup’s cell, watching the bars slide open. Jesse was in the same spot and position as he had been when Gabriel had left, but there was something different. He was shivering lightly, his breathing was shallow and quick.

Jack gave his mate a sharp look when he saw the Alpha’s state, then went to the far end of the room to grab up the plastic chair used by a guard when Gabriel needed one stationed in the room. “Jesse?” Jack started in, his voice gentle as he entered the cell and set the chair down beside the Alpha’s cot, “Hey, can you hear me?”

Jesse tensed slightly, a low whine warbling out, “L-Leave m-me be…” his voice trembled and shook. Gabriel felt himself stepping forward as he caught the sound of fear and pain in the younger’s voice, “L-Leave me al-lone…”

Jack set the thermos and datapad down beside the chair and reached up to put a hand on Jesse’s arm, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. My name is Jack Morrison, I’m Gabriel’s mate. Listen to me, please. We don’t want to hurt you. In fact, we’re very worried about you. And I know that Hanzo’s very worried for you too.”

The sound Jesse made was a weak, warbled whine, “Won’ let you hurt ‘em.”

“No, Jesse. We don’t want to hurt him, and we don’t want to hurt you either. I’m sorry you got caught up in all of this – it’s a mess I know. But this doesn’t have to be it for you two. You don’t want to believe Gabriel, that’s alright. He hurt you, I can understand where your fear is coming from. I would be scared too, if I were you. But do you know who else is scared right now? Your mate. He’s worried sick, he’s scared and alone.”

Jesse whined again and curled up tighter on himself, “Han…”

“Hanzo’s father did a lot of bad things, Jesse. But that doesn’t mean that Hanzo did bad things. You wanted to rescue him from his father, didn’t you? You can  _ still _ do that. You don’t have to give up.”

The younger took a few sharp breaths, struggling to collect his thoughts, “Gabe k-killed ‘em. Killed ‘em all. W-Woulda killed me.”

“No, I don’t think so. Gabriel is actually very fond of you. While he was in Deadlock, he used to tell me a lot about you, y’know? How hard you worked every day, all the shit you put up with. He was honest about wanting to help you, Jesse. He wants to see you and your mate happy,” Gabriel quietly marveled at Jack and the man’s skills with people. Gabriel was too blunt and straightforward, most people viewed him as aggressive (and he was), but Jack had always been able to get through to even the most stubborn of people.

And it seemed to be working on Jesse just as well.

“I don’ want H-Han to get hurt ‘cause of me…” a full-body tremor raked down the younger’s spine.

“If you don’t want to believe Gabriel that’s alright. He hurt you, I get that. But as the leader of Overwatch, Jesse, you have my word that nobody will hurt Hanzo if you help us. Not in Overwatch, or Blackwatch. But for that to stay true, we need you to help us. I don’t want Hanzo to get caught in the crossfire any more than you do,” Jack’s hand had started to gently rub along Jesse’s arm, as if he was soothing a spooked animal.

Jesse shook his head and huffed out a breath that might have been a sob, “W-Wanna talk to him. Wanna talk to H-Han…”

Jack nodded, “Alright, I can arrange that. But you’re in no condition to have a conversation right now Jesse. You’ll only make Hanzo worry even more. Can I get you to drink some water for me?”

“You’ll…lemme talk to him?” Jesse asked, seeming doubtful.

Jack nodded, patient and understanding, “Yep. For as long as you want. I even brought you a surprise, for when you’re feeling a little better.” The man reached down and picked up the glass of water left on the floor from that morning, “Here, try to drink for me.”

Gabriel was silently amazed as Jack got the stubborn pup to roll onto his back while the blond helped to lift his head, and helped guide the glass to his lips. After only two sips, Jesse started to swallow down gulps of water in sudden desperation, finishing the glass easily.

“There see? Feel a little bit better?” Jack leaned back and let Jesse rest his head back down. The Alpha nodded weakly. “I brought you some chicken broth too, when you’re feeling up to it. But I did promise you a surprise. Think you can sit up?”

Jesse blinked glassy eyes up at Jack, and Gabriel recognized the face of a frightened child looking to their parent for help. In the span of just a few minutes, Jack had somehow managed to worm his way into Jesse’s fragile trust.

When Jesse tried to sit up he swayed and nearly toppled over, with the blonde catching him readily. “It’s alright, you’re probably pretty dizzy huh? Don’t worry, here,” Jack helped Jesse to sit upright, moving to sit on the cot beside the young Alpha and let him lean on Jack’s side. The blonde leaned forward and reached down to pick up his datapad, lifting it up for Jesse to see.

He flicked on the screen and pulled something up. Gabriel could barely make out the images on the screen, pictures from Jesse’s phone. He wondered how Jack got them onto the datapad, but chose to ask the man about it later because Jesse’s eyes lit up at the sight in front of him. Shaking hands reached out and pulled the datapad closer as he flicked through the pictures as if it were the first time he was seeing them.

“You can keep that,” Jack murmured, “I can’t let you keep your phone right now, but I figured I could give you something at least. Hanzo is worried sick about you, and it’ll do you both a world of good to talk to each other again. I want that. So you have to eat and drink, and trust that I don’t want to see you or your mate hurt in any of this.” Jack leaned forward again, reached down and picked up the thermos, “Drink this for me, get a little bit of sleep, and in the morning I’ll make sure that Gabriel lets you talk to Hanzo. I promise you Jesse.”

Jesse had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the screen of the datapad, but Jack’s words seemed to have broken down the last of the pup’s barriers. He slowly set the device aside and took the thermos in trembling hands, bringing it to his lips.

Gabriel wished he could be in there with  his mate. He wished he had the ability to comfort Jesse out of his paranoia like Jack could. However he contented himself to watch from outside the cell as Jesse sipped at the broth in the thermos, the shivers slowly ceasing as the liquid warmed him up from the inside. A few minutes later and Gabriel realized that the Alpha had fallen asleep against Jack’s side.

Gabriel smiled over to his mate, “You never cease to amaze me,  _ Cariño _ .”

Jack just smiled back, and Gabriel couldn’t deny the way he felt his heart jump in his chest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be gone this holiday season from December 16th to January 4th. There likely won't be any updates until mid-January. I hope all of you have a good holiday season!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit's about to get real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY that this took so long. I had a lot of stuff happen over the last few months that have made it very difficult to write - especially for Youthful Dawn. But here it is, the next chapter.
> 
> WARNINGS for violence at the end.

Hanzo hadn’t meant to pace after he had sent his initial picture, but he had gone to great lengths to take a good-looking picture for Jesse to enjoy before his flight. Excitement and self-consciousness curled in his belly as he awaited the returning words from his mate, wanting the praise to soothe his ruffled feathers after the first few minutes passed.

After ten minutes he frowned and sent a text requesting validation.

[H: Do you like it?]

Twenty minutes passed and unease began to settle in.

Genji walked into the room and caught the elder brother pacing, raising a brow, “Everything alright?”

Hanzo forced himself to stop and try not to look concerned. He gave the slightest bob of his head, “Yes. I’m just waiting to hear back from Jesse.”

The younger hummed and glanced around, then checked the hallway and closed Hanzo’s door. He stepped further into the room and lowered his voice just barely over a whisper, “He’s going to be here tomorrow isn’t he?”

Hanzo chewed his lip nervously, hesitant to speak about it out loud when he knew the walls had ears. He finally nodded again, “Something happened earlier. He said there was an incident. We talked for a while and he just…stopped responding.”

Genji smiled and reached out to take Hanzo’s forearm gently, massaging the sensitive spot on the inside of his wrist which sent a wave of comfort and calm down into Hanzo’s chest, “He has a plane to catch,” Genji whispered quietly, leaning in close, “He probably went to bed early.”

The elder brother rocked back on his heels as he considered the time discrepancy, then let his shoulders sag as he nodded, “You’re probably right. I have nothing to be worried about. Jesse would not miss that plane for the world.”

“There see?” Genji smiled. He paused as Hanzo lifted his phone and tapped out a new message, huffing.

[H: Did you fall asleep on me?]

[H: It’s not fair to not say something. I’m going to give you hell in the morning.]

When he looked up he caught sight of his brother standing awkwardly, looking like he had something to say. Hanzo raised a brow and nudged the younger gently, “Do you wish to stay with me tonight, brother?”

Genji’s face lit up in a smile, “Yes, that sounds nice…” there was a brief pause, then, “I call the TV!”

Hanzo sighed and shook his head. He didn’t have the energy or capacity to care what his brother put on anyway, “Very well.” He looked to his door and sighed, “I still have duties though. Come back tonight.” He pressed a kiss to Genji’s temple before he turned and excused himself.

* * *

 

It was some hours later that Hanzo retreated back to the privacy of his room to call Jesse. Exhaustion and annoyance from the day had settled into the tense line of his shoulders, between his study and his training leaving little time to consider the events of the next day. He pulled up the man’s contact information and placed a call, holding his breath as he set the phone to his ear.

The phone rang.

And rang.

The voicemail came up and Hanzo worried. He couldn’t recall a single time where Jesse had missed their daily call, and as he hit the end button he waited helplessly to see if the Alpha would call back. Worry from earlier in the day bubbled back up in his chest as he tried to call two more times with no answer.

He pulled up his texts and frowned at the lack of response before he typed out a new message.

[H: Is everything ok? You missed our call.]

Ten minutes passed in silence.

[H: Jesse?]

Genji came in several minutes later. He offered Hanzo a smile that the elder could not return, turning his eyes back to his phone as he buried himself deeper into his nest. He just wanted some kind of reassurance that his mate was alright.

His brother settled behind him, “Have you still not heard from Jesse?”

Hanzo shook his head and tried to find words that didn’t let on to the knot of anxiety tangling within him, “No. He missed our call.” As the elder swallowed he caught Genji’s look of concern and added, “He’s never missed one of our calls.”

“He’s probably just busy. He has a long day ahead of him right?” the younger nudged his brother firmly, “Stop worrying.”

“Of course I am going to worry! Why would he go silent now of all times?” Hanzo’s chest tightened suddenly, his stomach feeling like it was dropping away as apprehension started to take residence. He took up his phone and tapped several messages in quick succession.

[H: Are you ignoring me?]

[H: Jesse McCree I will skin you alive, answer me!!!!]

He huffed sharply and set his phone aside, trying not to fidget. He could feel his dragons shifting beneath the skin of his arm, scales rubbing against the inside of his flesh and ridges skating overtop like a shark’s fin adding to his nervous energy.

“Hanzo,” Genji’s voice was quiet and placating. The younger leaned in and nuzzled against his brother’s hair, “It’s alright. Relax. Worrying won’t do you any good. I’m sure everything is fine. Jesse adores you more than life itself, we both know that.”

“I worry that Father has gotten involved. That…perhaps he had Jesse... If he found out about this-“

Genji quickly interjected, “Father promised that he wouldn’t, and until Jesse sets foot on Japanese soil then he should be safe from his wrath.”

“ _ Should _ , Genji. There is a big difference between should and is,” Hanzo lowered his head and took a few deep breaths. “I won’t stop worrying until I hear his voice. Until he is  _ here  _ with me.”

Genji soothed his brother as much as he could, cuddling up against the elder and wrapping his arms around him. A gentle hand came up to smooth over Hanzo’s soft hair, fingers carding through the dark locks.

After a moment of quiet, Hanzo reached out and picked up his phone, staring at the lack of response before he sent another call. After it got to the voicemail he ended it and sent another message.

[H: Just tell me you’re ok?]

Another call rang to voicemail.

[H: Your phone is on, my calls are ringing to voicemail.]

Genji turned the TV on in an attempt at distraction, finding a show that he and Hanzo used to watch together as boys. Hanzo stared unseeingly at the TV, unable to shake the sense that something was horribly wrong. His chest twisted in violent knots.

An hour passed before Hanzo sent the next message.

[H: Please don’t miss your flight.]

He called twice more.

[H: I keep calling you.]

[H: Jesse I’m getting really worried]

Genji fell asleep some time into their fourth episode. Hanzo kept calling, his anxiety growing worst until he felt physically ill, his breathing short and panicked.

[H: I swear if you’re not dead I’m going to kill you myself]

The moment of anger was so quickly washed away with fear and doubt that he immediately added, unthinkingly.

[H: Please don’t be dead]

Twenty minutes passed. He didn’t even bother calling.

[H: Jesse please]

An hour.

[H: I need to hear your voice]

Two and a half hours passed. At some point the TV had turned off and cast the room in dark silence save for the bright glow of his phone’s screen, leaving the elder to his rapidly spiraling thoughts. He needed to sleep, but he couldn’t find the will or desire to close his eyes without knowing his mate was safe.

[H: I can’t sleep until I know you’re ok]

Three hours passed.

[H: I can’t lose you]

He abandoned sending messages and pulled up a flight checker on his phone. He had Jesse’s plane bookmarked and watched the minutes to its takeoff tick down. It left. Still no word. He thought about calling the airline to see if Jesse had checked in but the worry of hearing a negative answer stopped his hand.

By the time the sun came up, Hanzo was exhausted and shivering. Genji woke to the sound of his soft whines and cuddled the elder closer, hugging him against his chest. “It’s alright Hanzo, shhh,” he kissed the man’s shoulder, “Have you slept at all?”

“Jesse’s flight left. I still haven’t heard from him.”

“Hanzo…”

Hanzo just turned and buried his face into Genji’s shoulder with a soft whine.

Genji stayed in the nest with his brother through the morning. One of the heir’s instructors came to the door looking for Hanzo. The younger brother was swift to dismiss him, “Hanzo is not feeling well today.”

“Should I call the doctor in?” Imazawa, Hanzo’s sword teacher, asked as he tried to look over the figure tucked into Genji’s arms.

“No, I have it handled. Go.”

“Young Master, I must insis-“

“ _ Leave _ .” Genji snapped the word and a slow wisp of green energy curled around his figure, a silent promise that finally made the man in the doorway relent.

He bowed deeply, “Of course.” The door closed with a soft click.

Hanzo was thankful for his brother’s watchfulness. He buried his face in the hollow of Genji’s throat and closed his eyes. While sleep did not come, the scent and presence of the younger was still a comfort that eased some of Hanzo’s growing concern.

He could feel Genji pull out his own phone, tapping a slew of messages that Hanzo had no desire to look into.

Hanzo remained in his bed with Genji through the morning, his brother only getting up to get them food. The elder ate little before tucking himself back into Genji’s body.

“Hanzo…it’s ok. It’ll be ok…” Genji kissed his brother’s temple and pulled the blanket a little tighter around them both.

Hanzo had given up calling. He checked his messages only when he could find the energy to pull himself away from his brother. The television droned on about local news and Genji’s cartoon shows. Time somehow seemed to pass both with extreme languidness and expedience. Every time he looked at his phone, a chunk of time was gone and it was both startling and painful.

Sojiro came to check on the boys as the sun began to set, the eldest dragon stepping into the room with concern written into the deep carved lines of his face, “Are you still feeling unwell, Hanzo?”

Unwilling to face his father, Hanzo shook his head.

At receiving no reply, Sojiro looked to Genji, “What is the problem?”

Genji was quiet for a long moment before he sighed, “Stress, maybe? He hasn’t been feeling well since last night. It’s only getting worse.”

“I will have the doctor brought-“

“No,” Hanzo snapped quickly, his voice heavy from disuse. Then, “Just leave me be.”

“Hanzo…” Sojiro’s voice was suddenly gentle, “It is not like you to be sick.”

The heir didn’t answer. Instead he pulled his shoulders in tighter and nosed into Genji’s shoulder.

The elder dragon sighed, “Very well. But I am calling the doctor if this continues into the morning. Thank you for watching out for him, Genji.”

Genji’s only response was a noncommittal grunt. The door clicked a moment later and the two were alone again. “Hanzo?”

“His plane landed hours ago,” Hanzo sighed, “And still no word. Nothing. Something is wrong, brother.”

“You’re right,” the younger sighed, “This is very unlike Jesse.”

Genji brought them dinner a short time later, and Hanzo once again picked at the food.

Later into the night Hanzo rolled enough to see his phone, checking the time, then checking his messages. As he stared at his long list of unanswered text, a green checkmark appeared at the bottom of his last message.  _ Read 9:43pm. _

The elder sat up suddenly, breath catching in his throat.

“Brother?” Genji’s voice was heavy with sleep, the younger blinking his eyes to try and wake up, “What’s wrong?”

“He just read the texts,” Hanzo swallowed hard and tapped out several messages rapid-fire.

[H: Are you there?]

[H: The messages show they’ve been seen]

[H: Jesse please]

He paused a moment, holding his breath and hoping to see the other at least typing something in reply.

[H: Say something]

[H: Anything]

[H: Your flight left hours ago]

Each message showed that it had been read and Hanzo fidgeted as he waited for a reply. Nothing. No response. No reply. Hanzo tapped one last message, desperate and with tears burning his eyes.

[H: Please I won’t be upset just let me know you’re ok]

Ten minutes passed with both Hanzo and Genji watching,  _ hoping _ . Defeated, the elder threw his phone to the side and collapsed down. Helpless, he gave in to his tears as he gripped Genji for support.

When sleep finally came, it was dark and unsettling. Doubts and fears cast long shadows through normally pleasant avenues. Old dreams about he and Jesse running away together were plagued with loneliness, calling out his Alpha’s name into a cold and unfeeling abyss.

* * *

 

When morning dragged Hanzo from the depths of his suffocating nightmares, he woke feeling ill. His body felt heavy, his eyes hurt, and the world simply seemed too much to handle. The sun had already risen, and Genji was gone from his nest.

Suddenly the loneliness returned, a massive swell of pain that had the Omega curling into himself.

It could have been minutes or perhaps hours later when his door slid open again. Prepared to dismiss whomever would try to pull him from his nest, the Omega turned his head to fix his iciest glare. Instead he found Genji in his doorway, the younger still dressed in pajamas. “I didn’t think you’d be awake yet,” Genji crossed the room and stood at the foot of the nest.

When he didn’t immediately crawl in, Hanzo turned onto his back to look up at his brother, “What is wrong?”

Genji wore a smile, but there was distress in his eyes and his shoulders were slumped. He opened his mouth and visibly searched for words. It was very unlike Genji to not know what to say.

“Brother,” Hanzo pulled himself to sit up, swallowing back a lump in his dry throat.

“Hanzo I…” Genji’s voice was thin and wispy. He tried a few more times before he got the words out, “Father… Father needs to speak with you.”

The elder frowned, “I am not feeling well, I do not wish to see him.”

“Hanzo,” his brother’s voice was suddenly resolute, “You need to speak with him.”

The two stared each other down for a long moment and Hanzo waited to see if he could get Genji to give in. When that did not happen, the elder sighed and broke their eye contact, “Very well. Give me a moment.”

It took far more energy than Hanzo expected to pull himself out of his nest. The weight of the air itself seemed intent to bring him to his knees. His hands felt heavy as he pulled out a fresh outfit and changed, then fixed his hair and stood before Genji.

When he took Hanzo’s hand into his own, the elder was immediately reminded of the last time the two of them went to speak with Sojiro. His stomach churned at the thought.

Out into the hall and down the stairs, Hanzo turned the corner for his father’s office when Genji turned the opposite direction and tugged the elder gently, “He wants to speak out in the garden.”

That was unusual. Sojiro loved his garden, however. He had spent a great deal of money on rare flowers and gardening experts, a lavish pond to keep his koi and a stone table set out before it where he could have tea. However Sojiro never talked business in his garden – for it existed strictly for his own personal use such as meditation or relaxation.

Genji let go of Hanzo’s hand as they approached, their feet meeting the stones leading towards the table overlooking the koi pond. Sojiro was settled on his knees at the table, his head down and eyes closed as the two approached. An incensory was excreting smoke lazily from its massive stone pores, perfuming the air with something serene.

The brothers each took an unclaimed side of the table, quiet as they waited for their father.

Sojiro took a slow, deep breath shortly after his sons had settled. His eyes opened and there was something sad in their depths, a pain that Hanzo had never seen from his father. “Thank you, Genji,” he looked to his eldest, “I called him to me this morning. Something has happened, Hanzo…”

The proximity of something so heavy from his father with Jesse’s mysterious disappearance had the elder immediately on edge. His back straightened and his chin raised, trying to hide the spike of panic lancing up from his gut and into his sternum. It took a moment for Hanzo to measure his words enough for them to come out even, “What is it?”

Sojiro sighed again. The tension in the man’s body drained, and the lines of his face deepened with a heavy frown, “I’m afraid that yesterday, the Route 66 Deadlock base was assaulted.” The man leaned back and pulled up a datapad that had been sitting on his lap, flicking the screen on and setting it towards Hanzo, “I lost all communication with my agents. I sent a small investigation team to see what had happened.”

Hanzo felt himself stop breathing. Panic turned to agony that splintered through his body as he reached out for the device his father passed over. The images he flicked through showed the Deadlock base, empty save for large bloodstains painted over cement, dirt, and metal. It looked like there had been a massacre. His fingers shook more with each picture he swiped to, and finally he set the datapad face down on the table and looked between Genji and Sojiro, “Where are the bodies?”

Sojiro hummed softly, then shook his head, “There were none. Whoever did this swept the compound, then cleaned up after themselves. We do not know who is dead, or how many. All of the weapon caches were taken. The computers had been wiped. It was a precision job.”

The heir felt his chest constrict, unable to get a full breath, “Did nobody escape?”

“There are only three Deadlock that I was able to locate later, all of them had been in the city when the sweep happened. They claim to have no knowledge of the incident. As it stands, I have received no ransom, and communications with the other Deadlock leaders indicate that they have not either. They have a long list of enemies, however this was too clean to be any normal organization.”

“Hanzo,” Genji stood and came around the table, dropping next to his brother as the elder gripped at his chest.

“There is a chance that he’s still alive. Someone must be,” Hanzo gasped, swallowing down the waves of panic making him dizzy, “These people must have left something behind!” As he stared at his father’s face he frowned, a tight coil of betrayal twisting in his gut, “Did you… This timing is too perfect. You knew about Jesse didn’t you?”

Sojiro grunted softly, “I did. But Hanzo, I assure you that I had  _ nothing _ to do with this.”

Hanzo gripped Genji’s hand tight, baring his teeth, “Not this. But you had something planned.”

“I intended to stop Jesse from interfering with your future. That is all,” the man spoke firmly, “I did not want you to have to experience the loss of a mate.”

“Liar!”

“Hanzo,” Sojiro frowned, “I intend to find whoever did this. We can avenge Jesse-”

The heir stood swiftly, his fear turning to ice cold anger, “I want no future being the bed warmer to some inbred, half-rate crime lord! Jesse wants to stand at my side, he could be a part of our life here. But your paltry sense of old-fashioned Honor makes you want to sell your own child as a brood queen for the benefit of your ego!”

“It is for the  _ family _ , Hanzo,” Sojiro snapped predictably.

“ _ I am your family! _ ” the heir snarled, his breathing shaking and labored as he tried to control the typhoon of emotions whirling inside of him, “Or perhaps I am not. No. I am livestock to you.  _ Genji _ is family. He is the one born of you and your mate-“

“Hanzo, cease this!”

“-he is the one you  _ love _ . My body, my life, they mean nothing to you. And I will not stand to further the line of a family I have no part in.” Hanzo’s entire being shook as he thought of what he was about to do. He turned and bolted for the Castle. He needed to get to his phone.

“Genji, stop him!” Sojiro’s voice was barely audible over the roar of thunder in Hanzo’s ears.

To his surprise, though, he was grabbed a moment later, an iron grip on his arm spinning him around to look at Genji, “Brother, please. We can figure this out.”

“There is nothing to figure out!” Hanzo growled, “I am leaving. Let me go!”

Sojiro was approaching and Hanzo jerked his arm, intent to escape and barely wrenched free of Genji’s grip. Instead of the castle, Hanzo turned and went for the wall. He needed to get off of the Castle grounds. He needed to-

A solid body tackled him from behind, sending he and Genji crashing to the ground. The heir was quick to recover, throwing his weight into a roll and springing to his feet, baring his teeth as he was faced with his brother once more. Genji had a desperate look on his face, fear and desperation clear in his eyes, “Hanzo, please! You are better equipped to find Jesse with the Shimada clan at your side rather than at your back!”

Hanzo felt his chest twist painfully, measuring the look in his brother’s face before he understood this for what it was, “No. You want me to stay because I am the buffer between you and responsibility. All of my life I have been groomed and forced into Father’s mold while you could act as you wanted! You have it all with none of the pain that comes with it.”

“Hanzo?!”

He was aware of the guards that had appeared around them, surrounding Hanzo and Genji as they prepared to capture the heir. Still, he pressed on, “You would see me put in these chains, wouldn’t you? So long as  _ you _ maintained your lifestyles!  _ Your  _ freedom!”

“I would never! Hanzo, we are brothers! I want to  _ help _ you!”

“ _ And yet you stand in my way when it counts! _ ” he snarled with all of the power and fury he could muster, his dragons swirling to life around him, filling the air with azure mist and crackling with electrical energy.

The look of shock and betrayal was oddly satisfying on Genji’s face, “Brother, you wouldn’t.”

As much as he desired to throw his dragons at Genji in that moment, he couldn’t. Some Pavlovian force stayed his hand, “Then do not stand in my way again.” He spun and lashed his hand out in a wide circle, his dragons roaring outward around him. They whorled around the garden space, avoiding Genji as they tore at the string of guards that would attempt to shackle the storm.

Two of the guards charged, but even without a proper weapon Hanzo was too furious to be overwhelmed. He grabbed the first and with all of his might twisted and threw the man over his shoulder into the second, diving forward. He snatched the knife from the hip of one of the two guards and flipped it into his hand, throwing the blade into the throat of a third assailant coming at him from behind.

The heir turned and ran again, going for the wall once more. He would not remain in his cage any longer. His dragons swirled at his sides, carrying him on the surge of their violent winds.

A green beast joined the fray as Genji dropped from the rooftop above, throwing his weight into Hanzo.

He’d had enough. He unleashed his dragons once more, the twins lunging out. Genji’s dragon rushed forward as well, green smashing into blue in a violent pulse of energy. Hanzo threw himself into another assault, Genji barely blocking his fist, deflecting a kick.

The dragons snapped and snarled around them, twisting and clawing at one another in a cacophony of bellows. Hanzo and Genji stepped in a deadly dance in the center, but Hanzo knew he could always best the younger in hand-to-hand. All of those years of forced training were good for something.

The heel of his palm connected with Genji’s jaw, sending the younger reeling only for the elder to follow up with a spinning downward kick that sent the younger crashing to the ground. Genji rolled to his feet and barely dodged another flurry of strikes, only to have his legs swept out from under him, Hanzo’s heel slamming down into the man’s chest to send the air gusting out of him.

“H-Hanzo please,” Genji pleaded, eyes wide.

The twins had quickly overwhelmed Genji’s dragon, the beast screeching out as she was slashed and bitten with claws and teeth of lightning.

“They’re killing her!” the younger pressed on, his voice thin.

“ _ I warned you! _ ” Hanzo roared, his dragons echoing the sound. He felt tears in his eyes, burning hot down his cheeks from the betrayal, “ _ If you had truly cared about me, you would never have stood in my way! _ ” He leaned forward and slammed his foot down hard, feeling more than hearing the crack of Genji’s ribs beneath him before he backed away.

Genji tried to drag himself back to his feet only for Hanzo to kick him back down, holding him to the ground, “Hanzo, I only wanted to help you…”

“You took pleasure from my work, my duties, my  _ honor! _ ” Hanzo snapped, “And when that was threatened, you showed me where you stood. Father’s favorite. Father’s only  _ true _ child.”

A shriek tore through the air, high and shrill, making Hanzo snap his head to see a much larger violet dragon with one of his own dragons in its jaws. The azure beast thrashed and clawed at the maw of its captor, his brother rushing over to try and help free its sibling.

“ _ Enough _ , Hanzo!” Sojiro’s voice was booming, the man’s aura a swirl of crackling energy.

Pain ripped up and down his spine as Sojiro’s dragon tore into his own, swirls of azure mist trailing out like blood through water. The other dragon continued to claw and tear at the elder to seemingly no effect. Genji’s dragon had long since collapsed into the mass of destroyed flowers, scrims of green mist flowing thick and lazy into the air.

Hanzo stood his ground as his father approached, falling into a stance in preparation for the fight.

“I grow tired of this fool’s errand. I have loved and cared for you since the moment you were conceived,” the energy around Sojiro waned some, the man’s face a mask of barely restrained fury, “Regardless of your origins, I gave you everything. You and Genji are my everything.”

“If that was the case, you would not keep me prisoner. You would not keep me from my mate!”

“I will not let the Shimada clan end here, Hanzo!” the man stated firmly, “Our family goes back for centuries!”

Hanzo growled, “Everything must end, Father. Even this. I will not go willingly. I will not stand another Alpha in my nest. And if Jesse is…” he swallowed down the sudden rush of things he refused to think about yet, “If he is gone, then there will be no continuing the line from me at all.”

Sojiro sighed and dipped his head briefly, “I never said you had to go willingly.”

He lunged. Hanzo braced himself, ready for the attack, felt the rush of panic just before his father struck. It was like being hit with a small car, and it was all the heir could do to stay on his feet as he was thrown back. He somehow managed to stay upright, staggering back while his arms pulsed from the pain of the blow. His forearms ached, one of them possibly broken as it screamed with a burning ache under his skin.

He lowered his arms and lunged to strike, but Sojiro had already moved, an elbow slamming into the back of Hanzo’s neck with crushing force. A stab of pain ripped down his spine, his whole body flashing white-hot with static before going numb.

He hit the ground with a grunt, struggling onto his hands and knees, “If you loved me then you would not do this.” Hanzo had tried for firm, but it came out pleading and weak in the face of imminent defeat.

“I do this  _ because _ I love you, Hanzo. I refuse to see you stand beside a weak-willed mongrel of an Alpha. You deserve a strong mate,” Sojiro knelt down slowly, “And had you found one I would not have objected so much. But Jesse McCree was a bastard child, with no morals and no standing in this world. He has nobody to mourn him.”

“Besides me?” Hanzo lowered his head and scoffed, then snarled, “Stop pretending.”

Sojiro’s hand came down to rest on the back of Hanzo’s neck, less a comfort and more a firm reminder that the man was in control, “Is that what you want to hear? That Genji is my preferred? Perhaps… Perhaps I do see Ichirou when I look into his eyes. He has his father’s smile, his charm. And you? Goyo’s pride and resolve. Both of you remind me of the ones who fathered you. And yes, sometimes seeing you does remind me that I had no choice either.” He sighed, “I meant what I said though. I never wanted you to know the pain of losing your mate.”

Hanzo glared at the ground beneath him, glaring into the torn earth with tears still falling defiantly down his cheeks. “You will force me then? Force me to lay with an Alpha I will forever hate? Bear a child that I may grow to resent?”

The elder let out a low hum, “You will never resent your own blood, Hanzo. But yes, sadly there is no more illusion of choice in this matter.”

Jesse was gone. Genji had betrayed him. His own father planned to force Hanzo into a life he couldn’t stand to think of. Hanzo’s world was growing increasingly dark, his body and mind giving in to the helpless void opening in his chest. Desperation gripped him in an icy fist.

“If you take my freedom, then I will take something equally precious from you, Father.”

Hanzo extended out his undamaged arm, fingers splayed. He gave a silent comment to his remaining dragon, the sibling limp and broken in its elder’s jaws. The unbound dragon lifted his head and launched into the air, rushing out. Sojiro’s response was too slow.

“What are you…?!” he turned to Genji who had managed to get up onto his knees, “Hanzo don’t!”

The azure serpent smashed into Genji in a vortex of energy, teeth, claws, and lightning. The scream the echoed out into the garden was a wash of agony and confusion, fresh blood hitting the ground as Genji was swallowed by blue.

Hanzo watched with a sense of hollow triumph as Sojiro’s dragon rushed after the smaller. The eldest Shimada’s grip on his son’s neck turned crushing, and Hanzo was only vaguely aware of his body being thrown back. His head hit concrete, pain flashing behind his eyes before the world went dark.

His nightmares were a mixture of pain, and the sound of Genji’s dying screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone starts freaking out, we all know what has to happen to Genji. Obviously the events of this story are going to be different from canon, but just trust me and we'll get through this.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this, we're ramping up towards the end now.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you enjoyed this piece, here's some information you might find appealing:
> 
> You can find my tumblr here: http://inkatheart.tumblr.com/  
> I always love talking to fans! Hit me up on Discord: Julie#0744
> 
> Because this AU has developed a lot of complicated parts and elements, I have created a **Plotist Archive** for it. Please visit this if you want to know more details about the world that Youthful Dawn is set in, including a story Timeline, and deeper explanations of how the ABO system works for this story (I've had a few questions from RPers using this universe). I encourage you to give it a look, if you enjoy the story!  
> [Visit the Plotist Here!](https://www.plotist.com/profiles/julie/worlds/julie-overwatch-youthful-dawn/summary)
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> **  
> **Thank you for all of your love and support**  
>  **


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